Papillary cystic tumours of the pancreas: an analysis by nuclear morphometry.
Papillary cystic tumour (PCT) is a rare, low-grade malignant pancreatic neoplasm, in which the histological criteria for malignancy are still uncertain. We performed a histological examination of 3 metastasizing PCTs, while comparing them with 18 non-metastasizing PCTs, using a computed image analyser. The mean maximum nuclear diameter, the mean standard deviation (SD) of the nuclear diameter, the mean nuclear area and the nuclear-nonnuclear (N/NN) ratio obtained by the image analyser of the metastasizing PCTs (7.23 microns, 2.21 microns, 30.45 microns2, 36.41%) were all significantly larger than those of the non-metastasizing PCT (6.34 microns, 1.59 microns, 23.66 microns2, 23.74%; P < 0.005, P < 0.005, P < 0.005, P < 0.001 respectively). However, there were no statistical differences in either the nuclear ellipsoidity or nuclear regularity. These results suggested that nuclear morphometry might be a useful parameter to define metastatic potential, in addition to histological variables such as venous invasion, nuclear grade and mitotic rate.
Second Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
K
K
Nishihara
M
M
Tsuneyoshi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010181:Pancreatic Cyst / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010212:Papilloma / Q000473:pathology*