Volume 73, Issue 4 pp. e80-e86
Original Article: Hepatology

Pediatric Wilson's Disease

Phenotypic, Genetic Characterization and Outcome of 182 Children in France

Eduardo Couchonnal

Corresponding Author

Eduardo Couchonnal

Hospices Civils de Lyon, National Center for Wilson's Disease and Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Children's Hospital of Lyon, Paris

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Eduardo Couchonnal, Service de Gastroentérologie, Hépatologie et Nutrition, Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant, 59 boulevard Pinel, 69677 Bron cedex, France (e-mail: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this author
Laurence Lion-François

Laurence Lion-François

Hospices Civils de Lyon, National Center for Wilson's Disease and Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Children's Hospital of Lyon, Paris

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Olivier Guillaud

Olivier Guillaud

Hospices Civils de Lyon, National Center for Wilson's Disease and Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Children's Hospital of Lyon, Paris

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Dalila Habes

Dalila Habes

Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, National Reference Centre for Biliary Atresia and Genetic Cholestasis, FILFOIE, ERN RARE LIVER, Bicêtre Hospital, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, Paris

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

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Dominique Debray

Dominique Debray

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

Pediatric Hepatology Unit, Reference Center for Biliary Atresia and Genetic cholestasis, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Université Paris Centre, Paris

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Thierry Lamireau

Thierry Lamireau

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

Children's Hospital, Paediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Bordeaux

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Pierre Broué

Pierre Broué

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

Children University Hospital, Metabolic Disease Department, Toulouse

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Alexandre Fabre

Alexandre Fabre

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

APH, Timone Enfant, Service de pédiatrie multidisciplinaire, Marseille

Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, Marseille

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Claire Vanlemmens

Claire Vanlemmens

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

University Hospital of Besancon, Paediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Besacon

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Rodolphe Sobesky

Rodolphe Sobesky

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

Paul Brousse Hospital, Hepatobiliary Centre, Hepatobiliary Centre, Lille

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Frederic Gottrand

Frederic Gottrand

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

Univ-Lille, CHU Lille, UMR1286, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, Lille

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Laure Bridoux-Henno

Laure Bridoux-Henno

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

CHU Rennes, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Rennes

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Jérôme Dumortier

Jérôme Dumortier

Unité de Transplantation Hépatique, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon

Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University Lyon, Paris

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Abdelouahed Belmalih

Abdelouahed Belmalih

Hospices Civils de Lyon, National Center for Wilson's Disease and Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Children's Hospital of Lyon, Paris

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Aurelia Poujois

Aurelia Poujois

French National Rare Disease Reference Centre “Wilson's disease and other copper-related rare diseases”, Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Neurology Department, Paris

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Emmanuel Jacquemin

Emmanuel Jacquemin

Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, National Reference Centre for Biliary Atresia and Genetic Cholestasis, FILFOIE, ERN RARE LIVER, Bicêtre Hospital, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, Paris

Competence Centre for Wilson Disease, Université Paris Centre, Paris

Inserm U1193, Hepatinov, University of Paris Saclay, Orsay, France

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Anne Sophie Brunet

Anne Sophie Brunet

Hospices Civils de Lyon, National Center for Wilson's Disease and Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Children's Hospital of Lyon, Paris

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Muriel Bost

Muriel Bost

Hospices Civils de Lyon, National Center for Wilson's Disease and Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Children's Hospital of Lyon, Paris

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Alain Lachaux

Alain Lachaux

Hospices Civils de Lyon, National Center for Wilson's Disease and Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Children's Hospital of Lyon, Paris

Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University Lyon, Paris

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First published: 02 June 2021
Citations: 24

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

ABSTRACT

Objectives:

To describe a cohort of Wilson disease (WD) pediatric cases, and to point out the diagnostic particularities of this age group and the long-term outcome.

Methods:

Clinical data of 182 pediatric patients included in the French WD national registry from 01/03/1995 to 01/06/2019 were gathered.

Results:

Diagnosis of WD was made at a mean age of 10.7 ± 4.2 years (range 1–18 years). At diagnosis, 154 patients (84.6%) had hepatic manifestations, 19 (10.4%) had neurological manifestations, and 9 patients (4.9%) were asymptomatic. The p.His1069Gln mutation was the most frequently encountered (14% of patients).

Neurological patients were diagnosed at least 1 year after they presented their first symptoms. At diagnosis, the median urinary copper excretion (UCE) was 4.2 μmol/24 hours (0.2–253). The first-line treatment was D-penicillamine (DP) for 131 (72%) patients, zinc salts for 24 (13%) patients, and Trientine for 17 (9%) patients. Liver transplantation was performed in 39 (21.4%) patients, for hepatic indications in 33 of 39 patients or for neurological deterioration in 6 of 39 patients, mean Unified Wilson's Disease Rating Scale of the latter went from 90 ± 23.1 before liver transplantation (LT) to 26.8 ± 14.1 (P < 0.01) after a mean follow-up of 4.3 ± 2.5 years. Overall survival rate at 20 years of follow-up was 98%, patient and transplant-free combined survival was 84% at 20 years.

Conclusion:

Diagnosis of WD can be challenging in children, particularly at the early stages of liver disease and in case of neurological presentation; hence the support of clinical scores and genetic testing is essential. Diagnosis at early stages and proper treatment ensure excellent outcomes, subject to good long-term treatment compliance. LT is a valid option for end-stage liver disease not responding to treatment and can be discussed for selected cases of neurological deterioration.

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