title: Comparison of morphonuclear features in normal, benign and neoplastic thyroid tissue by digital cell image analysis.
abstract: We analyzed the morphonuclear features of thyroid cell nuclei from 10 normal tissues (10 multinodular goiters), 10 benign tissues (10 adenomas) and 10 neoplastic tissues (10 carcinomas--2 follicular, 2 medullary and 6 papillary). These morphonuclear features quantitatively described the nuclear size, DNA content and chromatin texture of 200-400 Feulgen-stained cell nuclei that were digitized by means of a cell image processor. Nuclear DNA estimations revealed that the benign thyroid tumors showed an aneuploidy level that was not different from that of the neoplastic tissues. Morphometric measurements showed a significant and positive correlation between an increase in nuclear area and the development of thyroid pathology--i.e., from normal to a neoplastic stage. We also observed a significant decrease in chromatin condensation and heterogeneity from normal to neoplastic thyroid tissue. In the specific case of thyroid tumors, such criteria were not found sufficient per se for a diagnosis of malignancy. More detailed data banks will be necessary for this purpose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Cytogenetics, Erasmus Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Franc
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gasperin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heimann
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pasteels
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verhest
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000236:Adenoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D006042:Goiter / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004247:DNA