First isolation of Tropheryma whipplei from bronchoalveolar fluid and clinical implications

Florence Fenollar; Thierry Ponge; Bernard La Scola; Jean-Christophe Lagier; Maëva Lefebvre; Didier Raoult

doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2011.11.026

First isolation of Tropheryma whipplei from bronchoalveolar fluid and clinical implications

J Infect. 2012 Sep;65(3):275-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2011.11.026. Epub 2011 Dec 4.

Authors

Florence Fenollar¹, Thierry Ponge, Bernard La Scola, Jean-Christophe Lagier, Maëva Lefebvre, Didier Raoult

Affiliation

¹ URMITE, CNRS UMR 6236 IRD 198, IFR 48, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France.

PMID: 22172770
DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2011.11.026

Abstract

A patient presented diffuse pulmonary parenchymal micronodules. Tropheryma whipplei was detected in the saliva, a bronchial biopsy and bronchoalveolar fluid. PAS staining, immunohistochemistry and PCR for T. whipplei were negative in the duodenal biopsies. T. whipplei was isolated from the bronchoalveolar fluid, reinforcing its role as a respiratory pathogen.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / microbiology*
Female
Humans
Pneumonia, Bacterial / diagnosis
Pneumonia, Bacterial / microbiology*
Tropheryma / genetics
Tropheryma / isolation & purification*
Whipple Disease / diagnosis
Whipple Disease / microbiology*