Schizophrenia-like disorder in Wilson's disease

• Main Authors: I. D. Spirina, E. S. Fawzy, Yu. N. Shevchenko, A. V. Shornikov, A. V. Smolianova, A. N. Nikolaychik
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: IMA-PRESS LLC 2019-06-01
• Series: Nevrologiâ, Nejropsihiatriâ, Psihosomatika
• Subjects: mental disorders; psychotic disorders; copper; hepatolenticular degeneration; diagnostic errors
• Online Access: https://nnp.ima-press.net/nnp/article/view/1105

Wilson's (Wilson–Konovalov) disease (WD) is a chronic progressive disease resulting from impaired body copper metabolism with damages to target organs (liver, brain, and kidneys). The paper describes a clinical case of organic delusional (schizophrenia-like) disorder in a patient with WD. The characteristic feature of its psychiatric onset in the patient is schizophrenia-like disorders in the absence of neurological and gastroenterological symptoms. Because of this onset of WD, patients have not received specific treatment for a long time (frequently before the appearance of the Kayser–Fleischer rings or the occurrence of cirrhosis). Thus, the diagnostic search should include WD in young patients with a primary psychotic episode. The search for early effective methods for WD verification is of interest for further investigations.