[Peritoneoscopic diagnosis of M. Whipple--making an indirect diagnosis (author's transl)]

A case report is given of a patient with a malabsorption syndrome. Primary diagnostic procedures including x-ray examinations and endoscopy yielded no results. Alterations of the abdominal lymph vessel system were found during peritoneoscopy giving rise to the hypothetical diagnosis of Whipple's disease. This diagnosis was confirmed by intestinal biopsy yielding macrophages with PAS-positive inclusion bodies. It is pointed out, that peritoneoscopy is a good means to evaluate the abdominal lymph vessel system.