Usefulness of polymerase chain reaction for diagnosing Whipple's disease in rheumatology.

Objectives: To determine when Tropheryma whipplei polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is appropriate in patients evaluated for rheumatological symptoms.

Methods: In a retrospective observational study done in rheumatology units of five hospitals, we assessed the clinical and radiological signs that prompted T. whipplei PCR testing between 2010 and 2014, the proportion of patients diagnosed with Whipple's disease, the number of tests performed and the number of diagnoses according to the number of tests, the patterns of Whipple's disease, and the treatments used.