Presumed central nervous system Whipple's disease in a child: case report

Clin Infect Dis. 1995 Apr;20(4):883-9. doi: 10.1093/clinids/20.4.883.

Abstract

Whipple's disease is a rare, chronic, multisystem illness that is pathologically characterized by the accumulation of macrophages in the involved tissue that have a positive periodic acid-Schiff reaction. It is typically seen in middle-aged white men, and only four cases involving persons younger than 15 years of age have been reported. CNS Whipple's disease without intestinal manifestations is rare; only six cases have been reported in the literature, all involving adults. We report the case of a young boy with clinical, laboratory, radiographic, and pathological signs and symptoms consistent with CNS Whipple's disease who responded to therapy with trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Brain Diseases* / drug therapy
  • Child, Preschool
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Whipple Disease* / diagnosis
  • Whipple Disease* / drug therapy