Abdominal visceral peliosis associated with bacillary angiomatosis. Ultrastructural evidence of endothelial destruction by bacilli.
Peliosis involving solid internal organs is a rare entity, and it has been reported in association with chronic debilitating diseases. Bacillary angiomatosis (BA), on the other hand, is a recently identified lesion found virtually only in individuals infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. We describe herein two cases of visceral BA and peliosis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. Based on light and electron microscopic findings, we conclude that (1) BA bacilli present in the hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, in a suitable host milieu, may be the causative agents of peliosis hepatis; (2) BA bacilli can be found both intracellularly and extracellularly; and (3) peliosis is also identified in association with BA in abdominal lymph nodes.
Leong
S S
SS
Department of Pathology, Davies Medical Center, San Francisco, Calif.
Cazen
R A
RA
Yu
G S
GS
LeFevre
L
L
Carson
J W
JW
D000005:Abdomen; D000328:Adult; D016917:Angiomatosis, Bacillary / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D004727:Endothelium / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010382:Peliosis Hepatis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology