[Clinical and morphological features during the course of Whipple's disease(author's transl)].

Clinical and histological characteristics of Whipple's disease have been described extensively by various authors, but there are only few reports about repeated documentation of clinical and especially of micromorphological features during the course of the disease. We therefore report a case who was followed closely over a period of 3 years; small bowel biopsy was performed on 6 occasions during this time. Antibiotic therapy brought complete recovery from the disease and was followed by the disappearance of bacillary bodies in the lamina propria of intestinal mucosa. Despite this, many macrophages containing the typical PAS-positive material could still be demonstrated. The development of macrophages as well as etiologic aspects of the disease are discussed.