dystrophische

Dystrophische is the attributive form of the German adjective dystrophisch, used in medical and scientific language to describe dystrophy-related changes. The term derives from dystrophy, with roots in Greek dys- “bad” and trophē “nourishment,” and it denotes degenerative tissue changes rather than acute inflammation.

In pathology, dystrophische Veränderungen describe tissue deterioration with degeneration and replacement by connective tissue, fat, or calcifications. They are characteristic of various dystrophies and related conditions, most notably muscular dystrophies, where muscle fibers degenerate and are gradually substituted by fibrous tissue. The expression is commonly found in reports concerning muscles, nerves, bones, or other organs where degeneration is observed.

Common usages include phrases such as dystrophische Veränderungen der Muskulatur, dystrophische Myopathie, or dystrophische Verkalkung (dystrophic calcification) in necrotic tissue. The term is often contrasted with atrophisch (atrophy) and with inflammatorisch processes, since dystrophic processes can be genetic or due to chronic injury and are not primarily inflammatory.

Beyond muscles, dystrophische changes may occur in nerves, bones, skin, or other tissues, reflecting a generalized notion of tissue degeneration rather than active inflammation. In medical literature, the precise meaning depends on context and may describe morphological features observed under the microscope as well as clinical presentations.