[Constrictive pericarditis and Whipple's disease].

Abstract

The authors report the case of a 61 year-old patient treated by tetracycline for very probable Whipple's disease who developed constrictive pericarditis requiring pericardectomy. Although intestinal biopsy was negative, histological examination of the resected pericardium was very suggestive of a cardiac localisation of Whipple's disease, showing a fibrous pericarditis with a mononuclear infiltration including PAS-positive histiocytes. In addition, the same histological changes were found in a small fragment of myocardial biopsy. This case illustrates the prevalence and consequences of cardiac involvement in Whipple's disease.

• Authors: L Freychet, D Duboc, F Guérin, G Chomette
• Journal: Archives des maladies du coeur et des vaisseaux (Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss) Vol. 83 Issue 11 Pg. 1729-32 (Oct 1990) ISSN: 0003-9683 [Print] France
• Vernacular Title: Péricardite constrictive et maladie de Whipple.
• PMID: 1700688 (Publication Type: Case Reports, English Abstract, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Tetracycline

Topics

• Cineradiography
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pericardiectomy
• Pericarditis, Constrictive (diagnosis, etiology, pathology, surgery)
• Tetracycline (therapeutic use)
• Whipple Disease (complications, drug therapy, pathology)