Trientine-induced neurological deterioration in a patient with Wilson's disease

Bomi Kim1, Sun Ju Chung, Hae-Won Shin

  • 1Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Trientine (triethylenetetramine dihydrochloride) is a copper-chelating agent used to treat patients with Wilson's disease (WD). It has been considered safe, rarely causing neurological deterioration during initial treatment. We describe a patient diagnosed with WD who became neurologically disabled after treatment with trientine. On a fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequence, brain MRI showed increased areas of high signal intensity compared with initial brain MRI. The patient's neurological signs partially resolved after cessation of trientine treatment. Our findings suggest that treatment with trientine is associated with a risk of neurological deterioration in patients with WD.

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