A condition where muscles or tissues on one side of the body fail to develop normally or waste away abnormally.
From Greek 'hemi-' (half) + 'dys-' (bad) + 'trophe' (nourishment). The term literally means 'bad nourishment on one side,' referring to inadequate development or degeneration of tissue on half the body.
Hemidystrophy is sometimes seen in people who've had strokes or nerve injuries—the paralyzed side actually shrinks because the brain isn't telling those muscles to exercise and maintain themselves, showing how your nervous system is crucial for keeping muscles alive.
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