MYOCARDIAL EXTRAMEDULLARY HEMATOPOIESIS FOLLOWING MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) usually accompanies a chronic hemat ologic disease in adults or prematurity in neonates. We observed a str iking case of EMH in the explanted heart of a 13-year-old boy who unde rwent transplantation after extensive myocardial infarction. The flori d myeloid proliferation raised the possibility of a leukemic process. To our knowledge, extensive myocardial EMH subsequent to myocardial in farction has not been previously reported. Possible mechanisms underly ing EMH in the myocardium are presented. (C) 1996 by Elsevier Science Inc.