[Lipodystrophia intestinalis (Whipple's disease)--a rare origin of a sprue syndrome].

An own case of lipodystrophia intestinalis (Whipple's disease) of a male patient who was 41 years old at the time of the first admission is reported and discussed using literature. The biopsy of the small intestine is of decisive importance for the establishment of the diagnosis as well as for the long-term therapy with antibiotics (1 g oxytetracycline a day).