Rod-shaped organism in the liver of a patient with Whipple's disease

Histological review of a liver biopsy from a patient with known Whipple's disease revealed a prominence of Kupffer cells containing PAS-positive granules. Electron microscopy revealed rod-shaped organisms in the Kupffer cells but the presence of these structures were not associated with overt liver injury. This is thought to be the first reported demonstration of these bacillary bodies in this location.