Extramedullary Hematopoiesis in the Mandibular Lymph Node of Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta): A Report of Three Cases

Three cases of extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) in the mandibular lymph nodes of rhesus monkeys, experimentally infected intravenously with a chimeric simian human immunodeficiency virus, are described. On histopathologic evaluation, multiple sections of mandibular lymph node from all animals showed evidence of EMH, which included erythroid, myeloid, or megakaryocytic precursor cells (or all) within the medullary sinuses. Immunohistochemistry was used for positive identification of multiple cell types. Evidence of EMH was not observed in numerous sections of axillary, inguinal, cervical, hilar, or mesenteric lymph nodes or in any other tissues examined. To our knowledge, this is the first report on EMH within the lymph nodes of rhesus monkeys without an obvious underlying disease process or stringent blood-sampling schedule warranting the need for increased hematopoiesis outside the confines of the bone marrow.