Authors: Robert D Story Uffe Sagild
Publish Date: 1953/05/23
Volume: 152, Issue: 4, Pages: 312-317
Abstract
The first case of Whipples disease intestinal lipodystrophy in which were found both a marked elevation of the serum glycoprotein and deposits of glycoprotein in the characteristic foamy macrophages is reported This association may represent a fundamental pathogenetic relationship We also wish to emphasize certain diagnostic and therapeutic features of Whipples diseaseWhipple1 in 1907 described a disease characterized clinically by vague abdominal distress steatorrhea progressive loss of weight and strength and arthralgia His patient was a 36yearold physician who died following abdominal exploration The clinical diagnosis had been tuberculous mesenteric lymphadenitis Histologically the lamina propria of the small intestine and the mesenteric lymph nodes showed a striking accumulation of foamy mononuclear cells and deposits of fat and fatty acids The foamy macrophages were found predominantly in the lamina propria and to a lesser degree in the lymph nodes where the lesion was basically a lipogranuloma Whipple noted that
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