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The Neurology of Whipple’s Disease

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Neuro-Immuno-Gastroenterology

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Abstract

Whipple’s disease is a systemic illness caused by an infection with a bacterium of the Actinomycetes species called Tropheryma whipplei. The infection primarily causes gastroenteritis and malabsorption; however, it could also infect other target organs including the central nervous system (CNS). CNS involvement manifests as a wide spectrum of symptoms such as change in mental status, myoclonus, ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia. Whipple’s disease is rare and mostly presents with nonspecific symptoms, therefore requiring a high clinical suspicion for prompt diagnosis. Early initiation of antibiotherapy could prevent bacterial dissemination and produce a complete resolution of symptoms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA

    Ribal Bassil MD

  2. Department of Neurology, UMass Memorial, Worchester, MA, USA

    Carolina Ionete MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Ribal Bassil MD
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  2. Carolina Ionete MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Carolina Ionete MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, C Floor South Block, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Cris Constantinescu

  2. Atlantic Digestive Health Institute, Morristown Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    Razvan Arsenescu

  3. Armedica LLC, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    Violeta Arsenescu

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Bassil, R., Ionete, C. (2016). The Neurology of Whipple’s Disease. In: Constantinescu, C., Arsenescu, R., Arsenescu, V. (eds) Neuro-Immuno-Gastroenterology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28609-9_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28609-9_18

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