title: [44-year-old patient with fulminant liver failure].
abstract: The 44-year old female patient was admitted with acute hepatic failure and extensive haemolysis under the preliminary diagnosis of Wilson's disease. General characteristic criteria of Wilson's disease as Kayser-Fleischer ring, low serum copper and low ceruloplasmin levels were not observed. The preliminary diagnosis of acute Wilson's disease was established on the basis of the characteristic laboratory values with an AP/bilirubin ratio <2, an AST/ALT ratio >4, accompanying hemolysis and a highly elevated cupruresis. The definitive diagnosis of Wilson's disease was verified after orthotopic liver transplantation by quantitative copper evaluation in the explanted liver. The case represents the yet oldest patient reported with an acute manifestation of Wilson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik II, Zentrum der Inneren Medizin, Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt. aschm6674@aol.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kerber
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sarrazin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allers
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Engels
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Caspary
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeuzem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D010348:Patient Care Team