Wilson's disease: A master of disguise

Abstract

Wilson's disease (WD), in contrast to many neurogenetic metabolic diseases, can be very effectively treated in acute and chronic stages of the disease. However, early recognition is paramount because delays in treatments have much higher risk of unfavorable clinical outcomes. Identification of WD remains challenging because it is a great imitator and requires a high index of suspicion for correct and timely diagnosis. Initial neurologic problems can be seen in approximately 40%–50% of patients and the rest has either hepatic or primarily psychiatric manifestations. Neurologic and neuropsychiatric problems in WD are quite nonspecific and we discuss the most common clinical problems associated with early and late stages of the disease. Many patients with neurologic symptoms do not have any obvious hepatic symptoms. Most common neurologic abnormalities include dysarthria, dystonia, tremor and Parkinsonism. In spite of its phenotypic heterogeneity, laboratory abnormalities, reflecting abnormal copper homeostasis, are very specific and the diagnosis of WD remains laboratory based. We review most important challenges and pitfalls in laboratory evaluation of WD, including emerging role of genetic testing. Pharmacologic treatments need to be life-long and are focused on restoration of negative copper balance without inducing iatrogenic copper deficiency. The gold standard of therapy is chelation of excessive copper. Chelators may induce further clinical deterioration in some treated patients. We also review most promising novel therapeutic approaches that appear to better control non-ceruloplasmin or free copper because elevation of free copper may be responsible for paradoxical neurologic worsening.