Case Report on Acupuncture Treating Wilson Disease

Wilson disease (WD), an autosomal recessive disease with abnormal copper metabolism, is caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene. It is characterized by liver, nervous system, and ocular manifestations related to the deposition of copper in the liver, lens nucleus, and cornea. The case reported in this article was a 30-year-old woman with high muscle tension, unable to stand or walk, low voice, and short-term memory loss. Brain MRI showed patchy T1, long T2 signals, and high FLAIR showed signals in the basal ganglia thalamus area, subcortex, and brain stem. Low signal shadows were presented in magnetically sensitive bilateral basal ganglia region, callus, and cerebellar dentate nucleus. Ceruloplasmin was significantly reduced. With conventional treatment by western medicine, the symptoms were not alleviated. However, after the application of acupuncture-assisted treatment, the patient is capable with self-care ability, thus a desired effect was achieved. It is therefore suggested that acupuncture shall be applied to assist treatment of WD to relieve symptoms and help patients return to the society.

Keywords:Wilson disease; Hepatolenticular degeneration; Acupuncture