Anonymous survey of blood donors by polymerase chain reaction for Tropheryma whippelii.
Sir,

The introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based testing for Tropheryma whippelii , the causative organism of Whipple's disease and its recent cultivation in vitro 1 has led to a resurgence of interest in this enigmatic disorder. Using PCR, we recently reported a series of patients with Whipple's disease and highly atypical presentations, in whom the absence of gastro-intestinal involvement was striking.2 With greater awareness of Whipple's disease and its protean manifestations, physicians are considering the possibility of Whipple's in a widening range of clinical situations. The use …