Subcutaneous Whipple's disease

Abstract

Cutaneous findings in Whipple's disease are rare and often exhibit nonspecific lesions such as hyperpigmentation, subcutaneous nodules, and erythema nodosum. A 37-year-old black man with previously documented Whipple's disease developed soft, subcutaneous nodules on the chin, neck and extremities. Biopsy of these nodules showed a nonspecific panniculitis and intracellular inclusions stained by periodic acid-Schiff reagent. The inclusions were of the type thought characteristic of Whipple's disease. These findings indicate that patients with Whipple's disease can have characteristic skin findings that can be documented by skin biopsy.