Whipple's disease redux

Whipple's disease is an uncommon, multisystem disease that typically strikes middle-aged men causing abdominal pain, arthralgia and malabsorption. The characteristic patholological finding is infiltration of the small intestinal mucosa and accompanying lymph nodes with PAS positive macrophages. Similar histological findings can be found in other involved organs. Tropheryma whippleii, the causative organism, usually responds to antibiotic therapy. Polymerase chain reaction is used to confirm the diagnosis. This report summarizes, arguably, Connecticut's first documented case 50 years ago, and the saga of establishing its diagnosis and the subsequent attempt to publish it.