Wilson’s Disease

Copper is an essential metal that is an important cofactor for cellular function, yet free copper is extremely toxic and can produce irreversible cellular damage. Wilson’s disease is a genetic disorder in which copper accumulates in the tissues and manifests as neurological and/or psychiatric symptoms often in conjunction with liver disease. Wilson’s disease was first described in 1912 by Kinnear Wilson as hepato-lenticular degeneration, a familial, lethal neurological disease accompanied by chronic liver disease leading to cirrhosis. It is a condition seen worldwide and is an important diagnosis for clinicians to consider in patients who present with neuropsychiatric dysfunction and liver disease. It is a common yet treatable cause of liver failure in young people, and as such an early diagnosis and initiation of ...

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