Whipple's disease with muscle impairment

Muscle Nerve. 2006 Dec;34(6):794-8. doi: 10.1002/mus.20650.

Abstract

A 67-year-old man presented with myalgia, muscle atrophy, and a history of seronegative polyarthritis. Blood tests showed inflammation but no hematologic or immunologic abnormalities. Muscle biopsy revealed no vasculitis or myositis but Tropheryma whipplei was detected by polymerase chain reaction in muscle, blood, and duodenum specimens; this was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Ceftriaxone led to clinical improvement. Although rare, Whipple's disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of diffuse myopathy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Actinomycetales / isolation & purification*
  • Actinomycetales Infections / complications*
  • Actinomycetales Infections / diagnosis*
  • Actinomycetales Infections / drug therapy
  • Aged
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Ceftriaxone / therapeutic use
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • DNA, Bacterial / blood
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal / chemistry
  • Muscle, Skeletal / microbiology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Muscular Disorders, Atrophic / diagnosis*
  • Muscular Disorders, Atrophic / drug therapy
  • Muscular Disorders, Atrophic / microbiology*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Whipple Disease / complications*
  • Whipple Disease / diagnosis*
  • Whipple Disease / drug therapy

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Ceftriaxone