Three-dimensional reconstruction of benign lymphoid aggregates in bone marrow trephines

Distinguishing between deposits of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and benign lymphoid aggregates in bone marrow trephine sections is a recognized problem in haematopathology. To test the hypothesis that benign lymphoid aggregates do not make contact with a trabecular surface, three-dimensional models were constructed of five serially sectioned bone marrow trephines, containing a total of 19 lymphoid aggregates known to be benign. The computer-generated images showed that benign lymphoid aggregates were located in the central marrow space and did not become paratrabecular. This suggests that a paratrabecular location may help in some cases to distinguish deposits of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from benign lymphoid aggregates.