Whipple's disease presenting as sarcoidosis and valvular heart disease

Whipple's disease is a rare systemic disorder that can present in a variety of ways and is often difficult to diagnose. It can involve almost any orga n system and can mimic other diseases both in its symptoms and pathologic a ppearance. We present a case initially diagnosed as sarcoidosis that was fo und to be Whipple's disease after pathologic examination of the patient's m itral and aortic valves.