Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection and HIV

Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAC) infection This image shows a high power view of a section of a lymph node from an HIV-positive adult with a Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection. It shows that the giant cells, as well as the macrophages, have a striated cytoplasm due to the heavy load of mycobacteria. These giant cells are multinucleate probably because of the HIV infection per se, similar to giant cell formation within the central nervous system. H&E stain. This image is part of a series of sections from the same patient (see also images W0044371, W0044372, W0044376, W0044377 and W0044378).