4 Interesting Facts of Whipples Disease
1. Whipple’s disease is a rare, systemic, infectious disorder caused by the actinomycete Tropheryma whipplei.
2. Joint manifestations of Whipple’s disease often antedate the gastrointestinal symptoms by years and typically affect large joints in a migratory, intermittent pattern resembling palindromic rheumatism.
3. The diagnosis is established by demonstrating the organism on biopsy of the small bowel or other affected organ using staining and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis.
4. Treatment consists of prolonged antibiotic therapy.
Whipples disease is an uncommon, multisystem, chronic disorder caused by the rod-shaped T. whipplei (from the Greek trophe meaning “nourishment” and eryma meaning “barrier,” which refers to the malabsorption seen in this disease). It can present with polyarthritis, fever, malabsorption, and central nervous system (CNS) manifestations. Because of its nonspecific presentation, the condition is usually diagnosed when it is in an advanced stage. The typical patient is a middle-aged white man presenting with abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and arthritis.
