[2 cases of Whipple disease with different outcomes]

Whipple's disease is a rare infectious disease with systemic manifestation on different organs. In 1992 the typical rod-shaped bacillus was identified as a gram-negative actinomycete with distinctive morphologic characteristics and named as Tropheryma whippelii. The diagnosis is established by demonstrating the presence of PAS-positive macrophages in the mucosa, with large cytoplasmatic granules. We present two cases of Whipple's disease with different outcomes. Both were treated with the same antibiotics (penicillin/streptomycin). With this treatment one patient recovered completely. In a follow-up over 7 years no relapse occurred. The second patient died only 4 weeks after the diagnosis was established.