Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine

Original Articles

Morphometric Analysis for Cytological Diagnosis of Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma.: Jong Ok Kim, Bo Seong Yang, Hye Soo Kim, Jong Min Lee, Dong Ho Lee, So Young Shin, Chang Suk Kang, Hye Kyung Lee; Korean J Cytopathol. 2006;17(2):116-119.

Abstract PDF: The diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer is generally based on the findings of intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions and nuclear grooves. Although anisokaryosis and poikilokaryosis, in papillary thyroid cancer, are not distinct when compared to other cancers, cytological examination can provide useful preoperative information. Our study evaluated the diagnostic role of computer-assisted image analysis for the pre-surgical assessment of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid aspirates from twenty female patients who were histologically confirmed to have both papillary carcinoma and benign nodules were studied. Different populations of 50 benign cells and 50 malignant cells were analyzed. Five morphometric parameters were selected for analysis: nuclear area, perimeter, maximum length, maximum width and intensity standard variation. The values obtained for papillary carcinomas were higher than the surrounding benign nodules as follows: nuclear area 63.5 vs. 36.1 (p=0.000), nuclear perimeter were 29.4 vs. 22.0 (p=0.000), maximum length 9.6 vs. 7.1 (p=0.000), maximum width 8.2 vs. 6.3 (p=0.000), the ratio between maximal length and maximal width 1.16 vs. 1.13 (p=0.000), the standard variation of intensity 14.9 vs. 15.9 (p=0.101) respectively. Therefore, morphometric information can be helpful for the differential cytological diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Assessment of DNA Ploidy, Estrogen and Progesterone Recetor Status and Her-2/neu Oneoprotein Expression in Breast Carcinoma by Image Analysis.: Ae Ree Kim, In Sun Kim, Kap No Lee; Korean J Pathol. 1994;28(3):246-259.

Abstract: In 41 cases of breast cancers, the aneuploidy measured by Image Analyzer was compared with that of flow cytometric analysis, and estrogen and progesterone receptor(ER/PR) and Her-2/neu oncoprotein were immunohistochemically stained and measured by Image Analyzer. In ER/PR, the positive nuclear area(PNA, %) was measured, and in Her-2/neu, the content of oncoprotein was expressed as pg/cell. To assess the usefulness of these parameters as a prognostic factor, the author evaluated the results in relation with tumor size, nuclear grade and lymph node metastasis. The obtained results are summarized as follows: 1) The detection rate (90%) of aneuploidy by image analysis was higher than that (70%) of flow cytometric analysis. The concordance rate of both method was 80%. 2) The positivity of ER was 73% and PR was 34%, and the high PNA of ER and PR was related with high nuclear grade. There was an inverse correlation of the ER PNA with tumor size and PR PNA with negative lymph node. 3) Her-2/neu oncoprotein overexpression was found in only 2 cases and another two showed borderline overexpression. All four cases had DNA tetraploidy. From the above results, it was concluded that the image analyzer could be used in DNA analysis and in quantitation of immunostained ER/PR and Her-2/neu oncoprotein, providing the important information in the management of the breast cancer patients.

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