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Tjaard U. Hoogenraad, MD
Department of Neurology State University Hospital Utrecht, 3500 CG The Netherlands

Arch Neurol. 1982;39(10):672.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

With reference to the article by Longe et al on Wilson's disease in a Nigerian (ARCHIVES 1982;39:129-130), I would like to comment on their statement that penicillamine is not available in Benin City, Nigeria.

For three years we have been treating Wilson's disease with oral zinc as a low-toxic alternative to penicillamine.^1,2 Zinc has the property of blocking the copper absorption at the level of the gut.³ We found that during prolonged administration of zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄7H₂O), at a dosage of 200 mg three times a day, 30 minutes before meals, the copper balance became negative. Clinical and biochemical results showed that this form of treatment was effective.

In our experience, penicillamine is a potentially toxic drug and may induce side effects like urticaria and lupus erythematosus-like syndrome. This has not been our experience with oral zinc; it may indeed be . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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