What is the name of the congenital muscular dystrophy commonly associated with merosin deficiency?

• A. Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy
• B. Walker-Warburg syndrome
• C. Miyoshi myopathy
• D. LAMA2-related congenital muscular dystrophy

Answer: (D)

Merosin refers to the protein laminin-α2 in the muscle basement membrane. When this protein is deficient due to mutations in the LAMA2 gene, the resulting congenital muscular dystrophy is specifically called LAMA2-related congenital muscular dystrophy (often described as merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy or MDC1A). This connection between merosin deficiency and the LAMA2 gene makes this the best answer, as it directly names the condition caused by lack of laminin-α2.

The other conditions listed are different disorders: Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy is due to glycosylation defects affecting alpha-dystroglycan; Walker-Warburg syndrome is a severe dystroglycanopathy with brain and eye malformations; Miyoshi myopathy is a dysferlinopathy with distal muscle weakness. None of these are specifically defined by merosin (laminin-α2) deficiency, which is what ties the congenital muscular dystrophy to the LAMA2-related form.