Long-term outcome of patients with neurological form of Wilson's disease compliant to the de-coppering treatment.

Background: A substantial proportion of Wilson's disease (WD) patients exhibit residual neurological symptoms. Data on the prognostic value of initial clinical features and treatment choices in WD patients compliant to the therapy is relatively sparse.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to identify predictors of the long-term outcome of patients with WD with good treatment adherence.

Methods: Forty patients with neurological form of WD were evaluated before the de-coppering treatment initiation (based on the medical records) and after mean 15.25 ± 11.24 years of the stable treatment. Severity of neurological symptoms were assessed with a tier two of Global Assessment Scale (GAS) for Wilson's Disease.

Results: The most frequent symptoms prior to treatment initiation were dysarthria (90%), tremor (90%), clumsiness (67.5%), depression (67.5%), and gait disturbance (62.5%). Significant decrease in the frequency of dysarthria, clumsiness, tremor, gait disturbance, postural instability and an improvement in school/work performance were observed after the long-term treatment, while frequency of dysphagia, drooling, bradykinesia and rigidity, dystonic and choreatic features did not change. Overall symptom severity decreased over time. Presence of dystonia before treatment initiation was the only identified predictor of worse residual GAS score. Greater severity of residual dystonia was associated with female gender and longer disease duration.

Conclusion: Although patients with neurological form of WD compliant to de-coppering treatment had favorable disease outcome, a significant burden of residual neurological symptoms was observed after the long-term follow-up. Dystonia at disease onset was the only identified predictor of the worse long-term outcome.