Quick summary -Wilson's disease
- is a rare condition
- is an inherited condition
- happens when someone gets a gene for it from their mother and their father
- causes copper to build up in organs, particularly the liver and brain
- can start showing symptoms at any age
- can suddenly cause liver problems
- is diagnosed by looking at symptoms and tests for copper levels and genes
- can be very serious if untreated
- requires lifelong treatment
- is best managed at specialist centres
Quick summary -Wilson's disease
- is a rare condition
- is an inherited condition
- happens when someone gets a gene for it from their mother and their father
- causes copper to build up in organs, particularly the liver and brain
- can start showing symptoms at any age
- can suddenly cause liver problems
- is diagnosed by looking at symptoms and tests for copper levels and genes
- can be very serious if untreated
- requires lifelong treatment
- is best managed at specialist centres
What causes Wilson's disease?
- Why does my body need copper?
- What normally happens to the copper?
- What is different in Wilson’s disease?
- What problems can copper build up cause?
How is Wilson’s disease passed down or inherited?
- How does a gene cause Wilson’s disease?
- How is Wilson’s disease inherited?
- What are the chances my children will get Wilson’s disease?
- Examples: how Wilson’s disease is inherited.
- Who else should have tests for Wilson’s disease?
- Useful words – genetic terms explained
What are the symptoms of Wilsons disease?
- Liver (hepatic) symptoms
- Nervous system (neurological) symptoms
- Mental health (psychiatric) symptoms
- Symptoms in other parts of the body
Sudden (acute) liver failure and Wilson’s disease
- Tests for Wilson’s disease in acute liver failure
- Treatment for Wilson’s disease in acute liver failure
Tests for Wilson's disease in children
- Testing for Wilson’s disease in children
- General tests for liver problems
- Tests for copper
- Tests for symptoms outside the liver
- The Leipzig score
- Treatment tests
- Genetic testing
- Biopsy
Tests for Wilson's disease in adults
- Tests summary
- Liver blood tests
- Tests for copper
- Tests for symptoms
- MRI brain scans
- Treatment tests
- Genetic testing
- Biopsy
Family testing for Wilson's disease
- Who should get tested for Wilson’s disease?
- How are family members tested?
- What happens next?
Treatment for Wilson’s disease
- Aims of treatment
- Chelation to remove copper
- Zinc
- Diet
- Monitoring and check ups
- Liver transplant
- Treatments for symptoms
Living with Wilson’s disease
- Moving from children to adults’ services (transition)
- Alcohol
- Family planning, pregnancy and breast feeding
- Education
- Work
- Finding support
Future tests and treatments
- Drugs, research on new and existing medicines
- Genetic treatments and gene therapy
Download information to keep
You can download our Wilson’s disease booklet here.
This booklet was produced before the online information on these pages. We hope to update it soon.
How we make our information
Everyone’s experience of Wilson’s disease will be different. Always talk to your specialist medical team for personal advice.
Our information aims to be clear, up-to-date, and useful. We work with people living with liver disease and clinicians to make our information.
The main source for this information is:
If you would like to give feedback please use the forms on the pages linked above, or email us. You can also email us for a full list of references patient-info@britishlivertrust.org.uk.
Special thanks:
We would like to thank all the patients and families who helped to create this information.
Thank you to our clinical reviewer:
- Dr William Griffiths, consultant hepatologist, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS foundation trust.
Publication date: December 2025
Next review: December 2028
Support for adults with a liver condition
find out more
Support for children and their families
find out more
living with a liver condition
find our more