Copper associated childhood cirrhosis.

Abstract

Several papers have reported severe liver disease in association with massive hepatic copper accumulation, which do not seem to be either of the recognised copper associated liver diseases, namely Wilson's disease and Indian childhood cirrhosis. A further case is reported in which novel copper kinetic studies were carried out using the stable isotope 65Cu, showing that this patient did not suffer from Wilson's disease. It is suggested that these cases can be divided into two groups on the basis of age, clinical course, and history of excessive copper ingestion. The benefits of using 65Cu for in vivo studies of copper metabolism is discussed.