Granulomas in bone marrow--a study of fourteen cases

Granulomas in bone marrow are an infrequent finding and several diseases are associated with granuloma formation. Clinicopathological details of fourteen cases showing granulomas in bone marrow were studied. Fever was the commonest clinical presentation and anaemia was seen in all cases. Only one case showed epithelioid cells in the bone marrow aspirate smear while trephine biopsy was diagnostic in all cases. Granulomas were seen mainly in the paratrabecular space. Acid fast bacilli were demonstrated in five biopsies and serological test for Human Immunodeficiency virus was positive in five cases. Tuberculosis was more common in the present study as compared to others, probably due to the endemicity of tuberculosis in this region. Bone marrow biopsy is useful in the investigation of pyrexia of unknown origin as it leads to an aetiological diagnosis in most cases.