Dystrophy

Any disorder in which the structure and normal activity of cells within a tissue have been disrupted by inadequate nutrition. The usual cause is poor circulation of blood through the tissue, but dystrophy can also be due to nerve damage or deficiency of a specific enzyme in the tissue. Examples include muscular dystrophies and leukodystrophies. Corneal dystrophies, in which cells lining the cornea are damaged, are a rare cause of blindness.