Wilson's syndrome: Is it an accepted medical diagnosis?

Is Wilson's syndrome a legitimate ailment?

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Answer

Wilson's syndrome, also referred to as Wilson's temperature syndrome, is a label applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, including a relatively low body temperature, in people with normal levels of thyroid hormones. It is not an accepted medical diagnosis.

Proponents of Wilson's syndrome contend that it represents a mild form of thyroid hormone deficiency (hypothyroidism) that responds to treatment with a special preparation of a thyroid hormone called triiodothyronine (T3). However, the American Thyroid Association has found no scientific evidence supporting the existence of Wilson's syndrome.

In a strongly worded statement, the American Thyroid Association concluded:

• The proposed basis for this syndrome is inconsistent with well-known and widely accepted facts about thyroid hormone production, metabolism and action.
• The diagnostic criteria for Wilson's syndrome — low body temperature and nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, hair loss, insomnia, headaches and weight gain — are imprecise.
• There is no scientific evidence that treatment with T3 is any better than treatment with a placebo in people with nonspecific symptoms such as those described in Wilson's syndrome.

Hypothyroidism is a legitimate medical condition that can be diagnosed by blood tests that detect insufficient levels of thyroid hormone. Wilson's syndrome should not be confused with Wilson's disease — a rare, inherited disorder that causes too much copper to accumulate in certain organs.

It is frustrating to have persistent symptoms that your doctor can't readily explain. But accepting a medically unrecognized diagnostic label from an unqualified practitioner could be worse. Unproven therapies for so-called "Wilson's syndrome" may leave you feeling sicker, while a treatable condition — such as fibromyalgia or depression — continues to take its toll.

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• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)