In this study, the intracellular concentrations of six elements (mmole/kg dry weight) were directly measured in the muscle fibers of pectoralis major muscles of eight week old, genetically dystrophic and normal chickens by the X-ray microanalysis technique. The extent of muscle degeneration was evaluated by morphometric measurements of muscle fiber diameter and other histological changes. A significant increase in the concentration of intracellular sodium and chlorine was evident in dystrophic muscles. The concentration of intracellular sodium was 127.0 +/- 35.0 in the muscle fibers of dystrophic chicks compared to 65.7 +/- 16.5 in normal controls. The concentration of chlorine was 90.5 +/- 27.5 and 54.1 +/- 5.5 in the muscle fibers of dystrophic and normal chicks respectively. The intracellular concentrations of potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and sulfur remained unchanged in the dystrophic condition. Morphometric studies revealed that the dystrophic pectoralis muscles contain fewer but thicker fibers per unit area compared to normal pectoralis muscles. The importance of these findings are discussed in relation to the results of earlier investigations.