A screening test for Wilson's disease and its application to psychiatric patients.

Varied modes of onset make the early diagnosis of Wilson's disease difficult. A deficiency of serum ceruloplasmin, usually characteristic of the disease, was used as the basis for a screening test. Simple test materials and provision for handling about 50 plasma samples simultaneously made this test feasible for large-scale screening.The screening test was applied to 336 persons hospitalized for psychiatric disorders, to detect patients with Wilson's disease before the classical symptoms appeared. Two patients with ceruloplasmin levels below the normal limits were detected but did not have Wilson's disease. Further application of the screening test to relatives of patients known to have Wilson's disease and to individuals with any symptoms of the disease (hepatic disease, extrapyramidal dysfunction, psychiatric disorders, behaviour problems in children) would aid in early diagnosis and more effective treatment.