Whipple disease presenting as posterior uveitis without prominent gastrointestinal symptoms.

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical presentation and course of Whipple disease in an adult.

METHODS

A 34-year-old man with phthisis bulbi in the right eye secondary to uveitis-induced neovascular glaucoma presented with severe acute posterior uveitis in the left eye. He underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and jejunal biopsy for evaluation of anemia. The posterior uveitis was treated with a subtenon injection of triamcinolone.

RESULT: The diagnosis of Whipple disease was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of the jejunal biopsy that demonstrated Tropheryma whippelii rDNA.

CONCLUSION

Although Whipple disease is typically evident with malabsorption, it can also present as uveitis without prominent gastrointestinal symptoms.