Deoxyribonucleic acid flow cytometric study in pheochromocytomas and its correlation with clinical parameters.
OBJECTIVE
To study deoxyribonucleic acid flow cytometry (DNA-FC) in pheochromocytomas and its correlation with clinical parameters.


METHODS
Fifty cases of pheochromocytomas of a total of 58 cases were studied for DNA-FC from archival paraffin-embedded tissue blocks and were correlated with clinical parameters (ie, size of tumor, benign or malignant pathologic type, vanillymandelic acid [VMA] level in 24 hour urine, age, sex, duration of symptoms, symptom scores).


RESULTS
A total of 19 cases were diploid while 31 cases (62%) showed DNA aneuploidy with 21 cases tetraploid. Four cases were malignant. All of them were tetraploid. However, among the 46 benign cases, 10 were aneuploid and 17 were tetraploid. All 19 cases with DNA diploidy were benign. The DNA-FC did not correlate with other clinical parameters in our study.


CONCLUSIONS
We confirmed a high incidence of DNA aneuploidy in pheochromocytomas. All malignant pheochromocytomas were tetraploid and all cases with DNA diploidy were benign. Long-term follow-up of all cases, especially those with DNA aneuploidy (including tetraploidy), is mandatory.
Lai
M K
MK
Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan.
Sun
C F
CF
Chen
C S
CS
Huang
C C
CC
Chu
S H
SH
Chuang
C K
CK
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D011003:Ploidies
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm