Definition:
Intestinal lipodystrophy, or Whipple's disease, is a rare bacterial infection that most often affects the gastrointestinal system. It interferes with normal digestion, impairing the breakdown of foods such as fats and carbohydrates and hampering the body's ability to absorb nutrients.
Diagnosis:
To diagnose Whipple's disease, the doctor may begin with a complete physical exam, looking for signs and symptoms that suggest the presence of the condition — for example, abdominal tenderness and skin darkening, particularly on sun-exposed parts of the body.
Treatment:
The doctor may choose from a number of antibiotics, all of which have proved effective in treating Whipple's disease, either alone or in combination. They include: Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine);Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or TMP-SMX (Bactrim, Septra); Ceftriaxone; Tetracycline; Doxycycline; Erythromycin; Streptomycin; Ampicillin; and Penicillin G.
Symptoms and Signs:
Many common signs and symptoms of Whipple's disease involve the gastrointestinal system and include: diarrhea, abdominal cramping and pain; weight loss associated with the malabsorption of nutrients; and inflamed joints particularly with the ankles, knees, and wrists.
Causes:
The cause of Whipple's disease is infection with the bacterium Tropheryma whippelii, also called Whipple bacillus. This bacterium can initially affect the mucosal lining of the small intestine, forming small lesions within the intestinal wall. With time, the infection can spread to other parts of the body.
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