title: Discrimination of benign versus malignant mixed tumors of the salivary gland using digital image analysis.
abstract: Seven benign and four malignant mixed tumors of the salivary gland, biopsied using fine-needle aspiration, were analyzed using digital image analysis. Mean nuclear form factor, perimeter, and area were significantly increased in malignant cases. Better separation between diagnostic categories, however, was achieved by utilizing the coefficient of variation (CV) within a case rather than mean value. Form factor CV alone divided cases into nonoverlapping diagnostic categories. This quantitative analog of "pleomorphism" provided a useful marker for malignancy in mixed tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of California School of Medicine 90024-1732.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Layfield
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000032:analysis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001399:Azure Stains; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D010640:Phenothiazines; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D001399:Azure Stains; D010640:Phenothiazines