When is the suitable time to perform follow-up liver biopsies in Wilson disease patients?
As a result of the rarity of Wilson disease (WD) and the fact that liver biopsy is not performed routinely during follow-up, unless clinically indicated, the progression and timing of the liver pathology and its correlation with different anti-copper treatments or aminotransferase levels are poorly characterized. Previous studies have demonstrated the possibility of improvement of steatosis and inflammation grade, and of fibrosis stage during long-term follow-up. However, studies on serial liver biopsies, as well as studies on the correlation between hepatic histology and clinical parameters, are lacking. A research article to be published on March 28 , 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. A study conducted by the University of California Davis (USA), Texas Children’s Hospital (USA), and University of Padua (Italy) under the guidance of Dr. Valentina Medici studied the evolution of liver histology in WD patients during penicillamine and zinc treatment,
