Whipple's disease presenting with symmetrical panniculitis.

Abstract

Specific cutaneous involvement in Whipple's disease is extremely rare. The condition usually runs a chronic course, with symptoms preceding diagnosis by years or even decades. We report a 44-year-old man who presented with a rapid onset of progressive, extensive, symmetrical plaques of panniculitis affecting the inner thighs and forearms. He had accompanying large joint arthritis and was profoundly anaemic. Biopsy of the subcutis revealed a florid septal panniculitis with infiltration of the septa by foamy macrophages containing intracellular granules that stained strongly with periodic acid-Schiff reagent. A similar but more intense infiltrate was seen in the small bowel lamina propria, and a diagnosis of Whipple's disease was made. Symmetrical panniculitis has not previously been reported as a manifestation of Whipple's disease.

• Authors: A C Friedmann, G K Perera, A Jayaprakasam, I Forgacs, J R Salisbury, D Creamer
• Journal: The British journal of dermatology (Br J Dermatol) Vol. 151 Issue 4 Pg. 907-11 (Oct 2004) ISSN: 0007-0963 [Print] England
• PMID: 15491437 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Disease Progression
• Duodenum (pathology)
• Humans
• Male
• Panniculitis (etiology, pathology)
• Whipple Disease (complications, pathology)