Which of the following is not associated with Wilson's disease?

Question

Options

• AAsterixis
• BBasal ganglia
• CCirrhosis
• DPancreatitis

• A
  10% (2)
• B
  5% (1)
• C
  5% (1)
• D
  81% (17)

Explanation

Pancreatitis is not a classic feature of Wilson's disease - it is primarily associated with alcohol, gallstones, or hypercalcemia, not copper accumulation. Wilson's disease is an autosomal recessive disorder (ATP7B gene) causing pathological copper deposition in the liver, brain, kidneys, and cornea.

Why the distractors are wrong (i.e., they ARE associated):

• A. Asterixis - This "liver flap" tremor occurs due to hepatic encephalopathy, which develops as Wilson's cirrhosis progresses to liver failure.
• B. Basal ganglia - Copper deposits preferentially in the basal ganglia, causing the characteristic movement disorders (tremor, dysarthria, rigidity) and the Kayser-Fleischer rings of the cornea.
• C. Cirrhosis - Copper accumulation in hepatocytes causes progressive hepatic damage leading to cirrhosis, which is a hallmark of the disease.

Memory tip: Think "Wilson's = Copper in the LABK" - Liver (cirrhosis), Asterixis (from liver failure), Basal ganglia (neuropsychiatric symptoms), Kayser-Fleischer rings. Pancreatitis doesn't fit the copper-deposition pattern - when you see it on an exam, it points elsewhere (alcohol, gallstones, hypercalcemia).

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