Whipple’s Disease and Its Intestinal Mucosal Mimics

Hugh James Freeman^1, and James Gray¹

¹Department of Medicine (Gastroenterology), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Cite this paper:
Hugh James Freeman and James Gray. Whipple’s Disease and Its Intestinal Mucosal Mimics. International Journal of Celiac Disease. 2023; 11(1):32-35. doi: 10.12691/ijcd-11-1-7

Abstract

Recently, a male patient, presented to multiple medical specialties that eventually led to development of diarrhea and weight loss followed by eventual review by a gastroenterologist and a specific diagnosis of Whipple’s disease, a systemic disorder first described more than a century ago, but only recently recognized to be caused by Tropheryma whipplei. In this report, an updated review of this apparently very rare clinical disorder was done, including studies permitting a specific diagnosis of this disorder along with exclusion of other intestinal mucosal disorders that may potentially mimic Whipple’s disease.

Keywords:
Whipple’s disease Tropheryma whipplei periodic acid Schiff positive macrophages Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare. small intestinal malabsorption

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