title: Tropheryma whipplei aortic valve endocarditis, cured without surgical treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Culture-negative endocarditis due to Tropheryma whipplei is a rare disease. Mostly the diagnosis is made by histologic examination of resected heart valve tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case report, we described a patient with a classical Whipple's disease. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed a vegetation on noncoronary cusp of the aortic valve. Whipple's disease was confirmed by positive Tropheryma whipplei polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in EDTA blood and a duodenal biopsy with positive periodic acid-Schiff stain (PAS) macrophages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to timely diagnosis, our patient was treated with antibiotics without valve replacement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Catharina hospital Eindhoven, Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Ahmet_algin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Algin
authors.forename: Marjolijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wegdam-Blans
authors.forename: Kees
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verduin
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Jan-Melle
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van Dantzig
mesh_terms: D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054851:Tropheryma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008061:Whipple Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*