Whipple's disease

Alternative names:

intestinal lipodystrophy

Definition:

A rare disorder with widespread symptoms that causes malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract) resulting from an infection of the intestine .

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The cause is probably a bacterial infection. The disease affects primarily middle-aged men, and the onset of symptoms is usually slow. Without treatment it is usually fatal. Risk factors are unknown. The incidence is 1 out of 100,000 people.