Number and size of silver-stained nucleoli (Ag-NOR clusters) in canine seminomas: correlation with histological features and tumour behaviour.
Twenty spontaneous canine seminomas were examined. A statistically significant difference (P < 0.01) was detected in both the mean silver-stained nucleolar area/cell and the mean silver-stained nucleolar number/cell between (1) two intraductal seminomas with no signs of invasion, and (2) three intraductal ones with signs of invasion and 15 diffuse-type seminomas (two of which metastasized 3 and 12 months after surgical treatment). Furthermore, the metastasizing seminomas showed a mean silver-stained nucleolar area/cell which was significantly greater than that observed in all the other seminomas examined (P < 0.01). It is concluded that quantitative studies of nucleolar changes are useful in evaluating the biological behaviour of spontaneous canine seminomas.
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Naples University Federico II, Italy.
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D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D008297:Male; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018239:Seminoma / Q000556:secondary / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000662:veterinary*; D016622:Silver Staining / Q000662:veterinary; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000662:veterinary*