Whipple’s disease: the elusive cardiac invader in the shadows of systemic illness case report and literature review of the cardiac implications of Whipple’s disease
Abstract
, the causative agent of Whipple's disease, is a rarely diagnosed pathogen that typically presents as a chronic, multisystemic illness. While its role in blood culture-negative endocarditis (BCNE) is increasingly recognised-accounting for approximately 4% of such cases-its other cardiac manifestations remain underappreciated. We report a case that underscores the broader cardiac implications of Whipple's disease, emphasising the diagnostic challenges faced when typical findings are absent. This report aims to raise awareness among cardiologists about the spectrum of cardiac involvement in Whipple's disease and to highlight the importance of considering this elusive diagnosis in patients with unexplained cardiac and systemic symptoms.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Whipple's Disease and Interleukins
Viral Infections and Immunology Research
Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy and related conditions
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Acta cardiologica. Supplementum
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 81
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 723–728
- Publication date
- 28 May 2026
- Language
- EN