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Published on: June 2, 2022
[Whipple's disease: a curable encephalitis]
C Wintenberger1, A Bosseray, B Colombe
1Clinique de médecine interne, CHU, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble cedex 09, France. CWintenberger@chu-grenoble.fr
La Revue De Medecine Interne
|March 23, 2011
Summary
Whipple's disease, a rare infectious disorder, can cause encephalitis. Diagnosis requires histology and PCR on multiple samples, leading to successful treatment with antibiotics.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Whipple's disease is a rare systemic bacterial infection.
- Clinical presentation is diverse, making diagnosis difficult.
- Neurological involvement, such as encephalitis, is uncommon but possible.
Observation:
- A 45-year-old male presented with acute encephalitis.
- Initial cerebrospinal fluid PCR for Whipple's disease was negative.
- Diagnosis was confirmed via histopathology, PCR, and immunohistochemistry on multiple tissue samples.
Findings:
- Whipple's disease can manifest as encephalitis, even with negative CSF PCR.
- Histopathology and PCR on various samples are crucial for diagnosis.
- Prompt antibiotic therapy led to a significant clinical improvement.
Implications:
- Highlights the importance of considering Whipple's disease in encephalitis cases.
- Emphasizes the utility of multi-sample testing for diagnosis.
- Demonstrates the effectiveness of appropriate antibiotic treatment for neurological Whipple's disease.
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