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Whipple's Disease Symptoms

Whipple's disease is a progressive bacterial infection that commonly affects the ability of the gastrointestinal system to absorb nutrients effectively during the digestive process. Along with the typical symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness (diarrhea, abdominal cramping and weight loss), Whipple's disease is also associated with inflamed joints, anemia and a host of other serious ailments that occur as the infection progresses.

  1. Causes and Risk Factors

    • Caused by a bacterium named Tropheryma whipplei that forms lesions within the intestinal wall, Whipple's disease could spread to other areas of the body, including the brain, if left untreated. An infection that most commonly strikes middle-aged men, it should be noted that Whipple's disease is extremely rare; only 1,000 cases have been reported worldwide since its discovery in the 1940s.

    Early Symptoms

    • Whipple's disease is slow-moving and is often accompanied by vague symptoms, especially in the early stages. Inflamed, painful joints are among the earliest, most recognizable symptoms of Whipple's disease. Enlarged lymph nodes are a frequent symptom of an advancing infection such as Whipple's disease. Noticeable skin darkening is also an early indication of Whipple's disease. Sufferers also notice a persistent fever, which is often accompanied by night sweats. These symptoms often precede more serious signs of a bacterial infection, sometimes by several years.

    Abdominal Symptoms

    • Although the bacteria associated with Whipple's disease can attack organs and systems throughout the body, it most often strikes the gastrointestinal system. This causes a variety of ailments, including persistent abdominal bloating, cramping and pain, chronic diarrhea and fatty stools, which indicate that fats and carbohydrates aren't being absorbed properly in the small intestine. This improper absorption can also lead to vitamin-deficiency anemia, which in turn could lead to fatigue, weakness and dizziness. Noticeable weight loss could occur due to the body's failure to retain nutrients from food and/or loss of appetite.

    Signs of Progression

    • If left untreated over time, Whipple's disease could progress to other parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, nervous system and brain. In this event, symptoms will vary, depending on where in the body the disease has spread. For instance, if the infection has spread to the lungs, Whipple's disease sufferers will also experience trouble breathing due to inflammation of the pleura, or the membrane layers covering the lungs. If the infection migrates to the brain, it could cause confusion, memory loss and involuntary eye movements. Eventually, Whipple's disease could lead to dementia and, eventually, brain cell death.

    Treatment

    • Given the proper treatment, sufferers with no brain or neurological symptoms can often completely recover from the infection. Whipple's disease typically requires hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics such as ceftriaxone and long-term (often one to two years) antibiotic use after release from the hospital. Vitamin deficiencies resulting from malabsorption are often treated with nutritional supplements.

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