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Tropheryma whipplei infection (Whipple's disease) in a patient after liver transplantation
Author(s) -
Vindigni S.M.,
Taylor J.,
Quilter L.A.S.,
Hyun T.S.,
Liu C.,
Rosinski S.L.,
Rakita R.M.,
Fredricks D.N.,
Damman C.J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
transplant infectious disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.69
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1399-3062
pISSN - 1398-2273
DOI - 10.1111/tid.12562
Subject(s) - tropheryma whipplei , whipple's disease , medicine , liver transplantation , whipple disease , transplantation , disease , gastroenterology , coeliac disease , intestinal malabsorption
Whipple's disease ( WD ) is a rare infection caused by the bacterium T ropheryma whipplei that can affect multiple organs and most commonly occurs in the immunocompetent host. Only 3 cases of WD have been reported in the setting of immunosuppression for organ transplantation. Here, we report the first case of WD , to our knowledge, in a patient after liver transplantation with comorbid graft‐versus‐host‐disease. We discuss the diagnostic challenges in this setting and the value of electron microscopy and in situ hybridization methods for confirming the infection. WD may be under‐diagnosed in immunosuppressed transplant patients because the disease can present with atypical clinical and histological features that suggest other conditions.