ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME - DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF BONE-MARROW BIOPSIES

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 109  (2) , 138-141
Abstract
Bone marrow biopsies from 30 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), diagnosed according to accepted clinical criteria, were studied in order to determine if charcteristics histopathologic features were present. The biopsies were compared with 20 biopsy specimens submitted from patients with fever of unknown origin or with known neoplastic disease, including 4 biopsies from patients with a history of narcotics addiction being treated in the methadone clinic and with biopsies from 3 homosexual men who did not have AIDS. Characteristic biopsy features were recognized in 31 (86%) of 36 biopsy specimens from AIDS patients. Of 36 patients, 19 (53%) showed a distinctive pattern of hypercellularity in which hematic cells (immature granulocytic cells, megakaryocytes, eosinophils and large lymphocytes) separated, but did not efface, fat cells; these cells were designated as AIDS-pattern; 12 specimens showed a less complete (probable-AIDS) bone marrow change. Reticulin fibers were increased in 28 of 36 biopsies.