UVEITIS CAUSED BY TROPHERYMA-WHIPPELII (WHIPPLE BACILLUS)

Whipple's disease is a multisystem bacterial disease usually characterized by malabsorption, diarrhea, and polyarthritis. Ocular manifestations of Whipple's disease include blurred vision or visual loss with one or more of the following findings: vitritis, uveitis, retinitis, retinal hemorrhage, choroiditis, papilledema, optic atrophy, and keratitis.1 In general, these ocular manifestations occur in patients who also have gastrointestinal or central nervous system involvement. We report a case of chronic, bilateral uveitis with unusual ophthalmologic features. The patient had no clinical evidence of gastrointestinal disease, and light microscopy of repeated duodenal-biopsy specimens was negative. A preliminary diagnosis of Whipple's disease was made on.  . . © 1995, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.