Wilson's disease

American

noun

Pathology.

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.

Etymology

Origin of Wilson's disease

Named after Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson (1878–1936), British neurologist, who described it in 1912

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She claimed that drugs that treat Wilson's disease can cost around $50,000 per month.

From Fox News • Nov. 18, 2021

Wilson's disease is a "rare, inherited disorder that causes copper to accumulate in your liver, brain and other vital organs," according to the Mayo Clinic.

From Fox News • Nov. 18, 2021

They also ordered a blood test to look for Wilson’s disease, an inherited inability to eliminate copper from the body, which can cause sudden liver failure in young adults.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2021

Hereditary conditions can lead to degeneration of the cerebellum or spinal cord, as well as malformation of the brain, or the abnormal accumulation of copper seen in Wilson’s disease.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Anybody with a normal ceruloplasmin level can forget about Wilson's disease.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023