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Wilsons Disease

Wilson's Disease is an inherited condition in which copper is not excreted properly from the body. The excess copper can build up in the liver and/or brain causing liver damage and/or neurological problems. It can also collect in other parts of the body including the eyes and the kidneys.

The first signs are hepatic (liver) in 40% of cases, neurological (brain) in 35% of cases and psychiatric, renal (kidney), haematological (blood), or endocrine (glands) in the remainder. Between half to two-thirds of Wilson's Disease patients show symptoms before the age of 15 years and the majority of these will have liver disease. This leaflet is written for this group of patients.

In the UK approximately 1 in 100,000 people have Wilson's Disease.

More information on Wilson's Disease can be found on the Euro Wilson Website.

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