dystrophy

Term: dystrophy

Origin: Anc Greek

δυσ-/dys-(=with a negative sense meaning difficult, bad, abnormal, misfortune) > δύω/dyo(=to decline) δύση/dysi(=sundown)

+τροφή/trophe(=food, nourishment)

Because in dystrophies the muscle seems to have defective nutrition.

Coined:

Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne (de Boulogne)
(1806 - 1875)

in the 1860s by  French physician Guillaume Duchenne when he noticed that the muscles in some young boys were weakening as he believed that dystrophy progressed as muscles continued to develop without the nutrients they needed.

Definition:

In general dystrophy means any degenerative disorder, especially muscular dystrophy, caused by inadequate nutrition. There are more than 20 specific genetic disorders considered to be Muscular Dystrophy due to a reduction in muscle strength .