<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare, progressive autosomal recessive disorder characterised by impaired transport and excessive accumulation of copper in the liver, brain, and other tissues. The disease is diagnosed based on clinical manifestations and screening tests results. Work ability assessment of patients with WD is based on the analysis of liver, kidney, neurological, and cognitive impairments, and takes into account patient's level of education.This article presents a case with a 48-year-old male patient, who was admitted for work ability assessment due to polymorphic symptoms. The patient had been working as a salesman for 28 years. A detailed interview and examination by occupational health and other medical specialists revealed that the patient had been suffering from Wilson's disease from the age of 13, and had now developed hepatic manifestations (compensated liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension), neurological manifestations (dystonia, dysarthria, muscle weakness, vertigo), and psychiatric manifestations (depression, insomnia, cognitive impairment) of the disease, including problems partially caused by long-lasting treatment with copper chelating agents (neurological and haematological manifestations). There were no ocular manifestations of Wilson's disease (Kayser-Fleischer rings or sunflower cataract).The patient was assessed as having drastically diminished general work ability, dominantly due to neurological and psychiatric impairments caused by Wilson's disease.</abstract>

Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare, progressive autosomal recessive disorder characterised by impaired transport and excessive accumulation of copper in the liver, brain, and other tissues. The disease is diagnosed based on clinical manifestations and screening tests results. Work ability assessment of patients with WD is based on the analysis of liver, kidney, neurological, and cognitive impairments, and takes into account patient's level of education.This article presents a case with a 48-year-old male patient, who was admitted for work ability assessment due to polymorphic symptoms. The patient had been working as a salesman for 28 years. A detailed interview and examination by occupational health and other medical specialists revealed that the patient had been suffering from Wilson's disease from the age of 13, and had now developed hepatic manifestations (compensated liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension), neurological manifestations (dystonia, dysarthria, muscle weakness, vertigo), and psychiatric manifestations (depression, insomnia, cognitive impairment) of the disease, including problems partially caused by long-lasting treatment with copper chelating agents (neurological and haematological manifestations). There were no ocular manifestations of Wilson's disease (Kayser-Fleischer rings or sunflower cataract).The patient was assessed as having drastically diminished general work ability, dominantly due to neurological and psychiatric impairments caused by Wilson's disease.

Work Ability Assessment in a Patient with Wilson's Disease

University of Belgrade School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia

Serbian Institute for Occupational Health, Belgrade, Serbia

Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology

{"article-title":"Work Ability Assessment in a Patient with Wilson's Disease"}

Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare, progressive autosomal recessive disorder characterised by impaired transport and excessive accumulation of copper in the...

Work Ability Assessment in a Patient with Wilson's Disease

Published Online: Jun 24, 2011

Page range: 163 - 167

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-62-2011-2102

Keywords
bakar, ciroza jetre, depresija, distonija, dizartrija, D-penicilamin, Kayser-Fleischerov prsten, kelatna terapija, kognitivno oštećenje, mišićna slabost, nesanica, portalna hipertenzija, vrtoglavica

This content is open access.

Work Ability Assessment in a Patient with Wilson's Disease

Published Online: Jun 24, 2011

Page range: 163 - 167

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-62-2011-2102

Keywordsbakar, ciroza jetre, depresija, distonija, dizartrija, D-penicilamin, Kayser-Fleischerov prsten, kelatna terapija, kognitivno oštećenje, mišićna slabost, nesanica, portalna hipertenzija, vrtoglavica

This content is open access.

Keywords
bakar, ciroza jetre, depresija, distonija, dizartrija, D-penicilamin, Kayser-Fleischerov prsten, kelatna terapija, kognitivno oštećenje, mišićna slabost, nesanica, portalna hipertenzija, vrtoglavica