An autopsy study of human axillary lymph node histology.

This is a histologic study of axillary lymph nodes removed from 487 random autopsies. Histologic features such as germinal centers, deep cortical regions, sinus histiocytosis, hyalin deposition, fibrosis and overall cellularity were evaluated in each case. Results were correlated with the age of the deceased and cause of death. The results a) support the general opinion that germinal centers are more frequently found in children and young adults than in the old, b) showed that hyaline deposits increase with age, c) showed that lymphocyte depletion associated with fibrosis and hyaline deposits was found in patients dying of chronic disease, particularly cancer, d) pointed out a selective depletion of the deep cortical regions in patients dying of hemorrhage, and e) contributed to knowledge of the morphology of axillary lymph nodes in neonates. (Am J Pathol 78:7-22, 1975)