VITREITIS AND WHIPPLES-DISEASE - IDENTIFICATION OF TROPHYREMA-WHIPELII BY POLYMERASE-CHAIN-REACTION

Whipple's disease is a multisystem bacterial disease usually character ized by malabsorption, diarrhea and polyarthritis. Ocular manifestatio ns include uveitis, vitreitis, retinis, myositis, papilledema and opti c atrophy. We report a case of a chronic bilateral vitreitis in a 63 y ear-old man who had been treated for a Whipple's disease,with gastroin testinal involvement 30 years before. The jejunal biopsy was negative but the polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) revealed the presence of Troph yrema Whippelii in the vitreous prelevement of both eye. This new, ori ginal strategy of PCR is specific and more sensitive than histological diagnosis.