Rapid Diagnosis of Wilson Disease in Acute Liver Failure: No More Waiting for the Ceruloplasmin Level?

摘要

The findings in this issue of HEPATOLOGY from Kor-man et al. (from the Pediatric and Adult Acute Liver Failure Study Groups, National Institutes of Health) are therefore of considerable interest because they demonstrate that there is no actual need to wait for specific biochemical tests of deranged copper metabolism, such as ceruloplasmin or copper, that are not often rapidly available. Previous studies that have attempted to define simple biochemical testing for the diagnosis of fulminant WD have been hampered by their small patient numbers due the rarity of this condition (overall prevalence 1:30,000).