Wilson's disease

noun

a rare inherited disorder of copper metabolism; copper accumulates in the liver and then in the red blood cells and brain

• Syn: ↑hepatolenticular degeneration

• Hypernyms:

↑genetic disease, ↑genetic disorder, ↑genetic abnormality, ↑genetic defect, ↑congenital disease, ↑inherited disease, ↑inherited disorder, ↑hereditary disease, ↑hereditary condition

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\\ˈwilsənz-ˌ\ noun

Usage: usually capitalized W

Etymology: after Samuel A.K. Wilson died 1937 English neurologist

: a hereditary disease that is characterized by the accumulation of copper in the body (as in the liver or brain) due to abnormal copper metabolism associated with ceruloplasmin deficiency, that is determined by an autosomal recessive gene, and that is marked especially by liver dysfunction and disease and neurologic and psychiatric symptoms (as tremors, slowness of speech, inappropriate behaviors, or personality changes)

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Pathol.

a rare hereditary disease in which copper accumulates in the brain and liver, gradually leading to tremors, muscular rigidity, kidney malfunction, and cognitive disturbances: marked by Kayser-Fleischer rings.

[named after Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson (1878-1936), British neurologist, who described it in 1912]

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Wilson's disease /wilˈsənz di-zēzˈ/

noun

A hereditary degenerative disease of the nervous system and liver, in which there is an accumulation of copper in the tissues

ORIGIN: Samuel Wilson (1878–1937), English neurologist

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Wilson's disease,

a hereditary degenerative disease in which a deficiency of ceruloplasmin causes copper to accumulate in the liver, brain, and other tissues; hepaticolenticular degeneration.

╂[< Samuel A. K. Wilson, 1878-1937, an English neurologist]