Abstract

HANO GARCIA, Olga; JIMENEZ MESA, Graciela; PEREZ BRIOSO, Antonio  and  POMAR MONTALVO, Felicia. Enfermedad de Wilson. Su diagnóstico en el adulto. Rev cubana med [online]. 1996, vol.35, n.1, pp.37-43. ISSN 0034-7523.

A group of 19 adult patients aged 19-41 years who were supposed to present with Wilson's disease because of the clinical picture and personal and familial history, were studied. All patients underwent the following determinations: ceruloplasmin, blood copper, urine copper before and after the administration of D'penicillamine, a test for the hepatic function, laparoscopy and liver biopsy with tissue copper determination. Besides, and ophthalmologic examination with the use of a slitlamp to determine the presence or not of a kayser-Fleisher ring. Only 9 patients met criteria for the diagnosis of this entity. The most useful examinations to diagnose Wilson's disease in the adult is the determination of copper in tissue and copper in urine, before and after treatment with D'penicillamine. It is considered that in the young adult patients with history of repeated icterus, high transaminase values and chronic hepatopathy Wilson's disease should be investigated.

Keywords : HEPATOLENTICULAR DEGENERATI0N [diagnosis]; ADULT; CERULOPLASMIN; COOPER [urine]; PENICILLAMINE [administration and dosage]; LIVER FUNCTION TESTS; LAPAROSCOPY.