A case of whipple's disease with repeated operations for ileus and complete cure

The authors make a case report of a male patient, 58 of age, whose complaints started 37 years ago; inspite of an operation, repeated medical check-ups and treatment, they had no other choice but to perform a further laparotomy when the patient presented himself with progressive cachexia and signs of an acute abdomen. Taking the history, the operative and histological findings of the patient into consideration, the correct diagnosis could be made: Whipple's disease. The presence of this condition was also proven by postoperative X-rays and immunological examinations. The patient has been restored to health after a year's antibiotic treatment. An impaired defensive ability, mainly of the immune and macrophage system can be proven to exist in Whipple's disease. Two main tasks are essential: 1) to hold the patient under constant control and 2) to continue research with the aim of finding ways of immunocorrection.