Test Details: DMD is a rapidly progressive form of muscular dystrophy that occurs exclusively in males. It is caused by an alteration (mutation) in a gene, called the Dystrophin gene that can be inherited in families in an X-linked recessive pattern. Multiplex ligation probe amplification (MLPA) is a technique used to identify deletions and duplications and can evaluate all 79 exons in dystrophin gene. This test helps to determine carrier status in females.