Penicillamine hypersensitivity: successful desensitization of a patient with severe hepatic Wilson's disease.

We report a 16-yr-old patient who developed a severe allergic reaction to penicillamine which was prescribed for newly diagnosed hepatic Wilson's disease. The patient's name was placed on the liver transplant waiting list because of the severity of her liver disease. We describe successful desensitization to penicillamine, so that medical therapy alone was sufficient for management of her condition.