A comparative study of morphometric measurements of nucleoli in uveal melanomas from electron micrographs and plastic-embedded and paraffin-embedded sections.
Morphometric measurements of nucleoli were done on uveal melanomas from surviving and nonsurviving patients. The melanomas were embedded in paraffin and plastic, and measurement data from Papanicolaou-stained paraffin-embedded sections, toluidine blue-stained plastic-embedded sections and scanning transmission electron micrographs (STEM) of plastic-embedded sections were compared. The results showed that one parameter, the coefficient of variation (CV) of nucleolar area, correctly classified 80% of the cases as to survival when plastic-embedded material was used and 70% of the cases when paraffin-embedded material or STEM micrographs were used. The inverse standard deviation of the nucleolar area was a better predictor of outcome than was the CV of nucleolar area only in the paraffin-embedded sections. The nucleolar measurements were most easily and rapidly performed in the plastic-embedded sections.
Mikel
U V
UV
Department of Cellular Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C. 20306-6000.
Engler
W F
WF
Perez-Rosario
E
E
Becker
R L
RL
McLean
I W
IW
D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000648:ultrastructure*