Review article: diagnosis and current therapy of Wilson's disease

Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2004 Jan 15;19(2):157-65. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2036.2003.01813.x.

Abstract

Wilson's disease is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of hepatic copper metabolism resulting in liver disease and/or neuropsychiatric disease. The diagnosis of neurological disease is straightforward if the following symptoms are present: Kayser-Fleischer rings, typical neurological symptoms and low serum ceruloplasmin levels. The diagnosis is more complex in patients presenting with liver diseases. None of the commonly used parameters alone allows a diagnosis with certainty. A combination of various laboratory parameters is necessary to firmly establish the diagnosis. In the future, limited mutation analysis may play an important diagnostic role. Recently, a group of international experts has proposed a score based on a variety of tests and clinical symptoms. The validity of this score needs to be assessed prospectively. Treatment requires life-long administration of copper chelators (d-penicillamine, trientine). A frequently used alternative is zinc. None of these treatments has been tested by prospective randomized controlled studies. Liver transplantation is reserved for severe or treatment-resistant cases with advanced liver disease, whilst experience with refractory neuropsychiatric disease is limited.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants / therapeutic use
  • Chelating Agents / therapeutic use
  • Genetic Testing
  • Hepatolenticular Degeneration* / diagnosis
  • Hepatolenticular Degeneration* / genetics
  • Hepatolenticular Degeneration* / therapy
  • Humans
  • Liver Transplantation
  • Pedigree
  • Zinc / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Chelating Agents
  • Zinc