title: Whipple's disease concomitant with candida esophagitis and subsequent Giardia lamblia coinfection.
abstract: Whipple's disease is a rare systemic condition resulting from a chronic infection by Tropheryma whipplei. Clinical presentation can be widely heterogeneous, often leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, little is known about the underlying pathogenic mechanisms, although several abnormalities in immune cell function have been observed. We describe the case of a 51-year-old woman presenting with dysphagia, odynophagia, long-lasting low-grade fever, and malabsorption syndrome who underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showing esophageal candidiasis. On the same occasion, duodenal biopsies were also performed, with evidence of mucosal infiltration of periodic acid-Schiff-positive and CD68+ foamy macrophages at microscopic examination. Such findings were suggestive of Whipple's disease, as also confirmed by molecular analysis by PCR for T. whipplei. No specific risk factors were identified in our patient that could explain the occurrence of an opportunistic infection such as candida esophagitis, thus leading to the hypothesis of a direct correlation with Whipple's disease. Interestingly, a Giardia lamblia coinfection was subsequently identified, which is consistent with an underlying immune deficit although still undefined.
authors.affiliation: aUniversity Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases bDigestive Surgical Endoscopy, University of Brescia cInstitute of Pathology dUnit of Tropical Diseases, Spedali Civili General Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sulis
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villanacci
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Missale
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salemme
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caligaris
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D060085:Coinfection; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D008061:Whipple Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors