Asymptomatic pericardial calcification in Whipple's disease
Authors: Margaret G Keane, Mohamed Shariff, Ayesha Akbhar, Paul Trembling, Patrizia Cohen, Geoff Smith
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2009)

A 40-year-old male plasterer presented to hospital with swollen arms. On direct questioning he reported a 3-kg weight loss over the last 6 months despite a normal appetite; he had no bowel symptoms and no night sweats. There was no significant past medical history. On examination he appeared cachectic and had bilaterally swollen arms, gynacomastia and axillary lympadenopathy. The remainder of the examination was unremarkable. Blood tests revealed an iron-deficiency anaemia and raised inflammatory markers (haemoglobin 10.0 g/dL, mean corpuscular volume [MCV] 67 fl, erythrocyte sedimentation rate 106 mm/hour, C-reactive protein 91 mg/L). A CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis revealed bilateral arm DVTs, axillary and abdominal lympadeonopathy, which was thought to be reactive. The patient was started on Warfarin and iron tablets, and discharged from hospital. He was reviewed two weeks later in the gastroenterology outpatient clinic to further investigate the cause of his iron-deficiency anaemia. A gastroscopy and colonoscopy were arranged and revealed a grossly normal oesophagus, stomach, duodenum and colon. The CLO-test was positive and he was started on a course of helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. Biopsies taken from the duodenum, showed normal villi with noncaseating granulomata, providing a differential diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, TB and sarcoidosis. The patient had been vaccinated against TB as a child and had a BCG scar on his left arm. A serum ACE, ELISpot-Plus and TB sputum culture were taken and were all found to be negative. Coeliac serology was also negative. When next seen in the gastroenterology outpatient department he had lost a further 6 kgs in weight and was visibly cachectic despite a normal diet and appetite. Cardiovascular examination was normal, no murmurs were heard and the JVP was not raised, respiratory and abdominal examinations were unremarkable but axillary lympadeopathy persisted. Blood tests revealed his iron deficiency anaemia had progressed, his haemoglobin was now 7.7, MCV 67 and iron level 2. ECG was normal. He was admitted to hospital from clinic for further investigation. Arepeat abdominothoracic CT scan showed axillary lympadenopathy, thickening of the pericardium with areas of calcification (Figure 1) and diffuse retroperitoneal and mesenteric lympadenopathy which was thought again to be reactive. A TB ELISpot-Plus, sputum culture and mantoux test were repeated and were all negative. Repeat OGD showed significant candida oesophagitis and ulcerative duodenitis. Colonoscopy and terminal ileoscopy were normal. Biopsies were taken from the duodenum, colon and terminal ileum. The biopsy from the second part of the duodenum showed widened blunted villi with distension of the lamina propria and abundant foamy pink macrophages. The macrophages contained abundant intense, PASpositive, diastase-resistant cytoplasmic inclusions, which are also present between the macrophages of the lamina propria. Ziehl-Neelsen staining for acid fast bacilli was negative. Scattered large lipid droplets and occasional dilated lacteals were noted. No dysplasia, lymphocytes or malignancy was seen. These findings are consistent with Whipple’s disease and were also found in the terminal ileum and colonic biopsies. The Tropheryma whipplei bacillus was subsequently identified by DECLARATIONS