Is progressive myotonic dystrophy hereditary? 1. Progressive myotonic dystrophy is a classic X-linked recessive disorder. 2, more than half of the disease is inherited from mother to son. 3, part of the mother’s gene is normal, the son has a mutation in the DMD gene and the disease develops. 4, if the mother is a carrier, her son has half the probability of having the disease; the girl has half the probability of being a carrier, but the girl usually does not have the disease.