BONE-MARROW MORPHOLOGIC FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION

The hematologic, histologic and morphologic bone marrow findings of 18 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were revie wed. The mean age of the patients studied was 27 years; age range was six to 63 years. The main bone marrow morphologic finding was hypercel lularity (72%), which was mainly due to megakaryocytic hyperplasia wit h or without granulocytic or erythrocytic hyperplasia. Naked (denuded) megakaryocyte nuclei, which are considered an indicator of HIV infect ion, were present in 72% of the bone marrows examined. Reticuloendothe lial iron blockade was identified in 78% of cases. Other less frequent findings included erythrocytic dysplasia (44%), plasmacytosis (28%), nonspecific granulomas (l7%), Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (17 %), lymphocytic aggregates (11%) and histiocytosis (6%). The bone marr ow findings in this series of HIV patients appear to be similar to wha t has been previously reported from other countries.