The process of hematopoiesis occurring outside of the bone marrow (in the liver, thymus, and spleen) in the postnatal organisms.
Comment:
During fetal life, the formation of cellular blood components occurs mainly in the liver, shifting to the bone marrow postnatally. Some pathological conditions associated with a severe reduction of marrow hematopoiesis are associated with extramedullary hematopoiesis. The most common causes of Extramedullary hematopoieses (EMH) are myelofibrosis, diffuse osseous metastatic disease replacing the bone marrow, leukemia, sickle-cell anemia, and thalassemia. EMH is usually microscopic and asymptomatic, but it can sometimes manifest as organomegaly and tumor-like masses. Rarely, it can cause cord compression, pleural effusion, massive hemothorax, and respiratory failure.