Image cytometric nuclear DNA quantitation of paragangliomas in tissue sections. Prognostic significance.
OBJECTIVE
Image cytometric quantitation of nuclear DNA of paragangliomas may provide prognostic information that cannot be obtained from histopathologic study. Flow cytometry has demonstrated DNA aneuploid tumors to have a higher risk of progression than diploid neoplasms.


METHODS
DNA ploidy of 56 paragangliomas was assessed by image cytometry of 5-micron, Feulgen-stained, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections.


RESULTS
Thirty-three (59%) paragangliomas were diploid and 23 (41%) aneuploid. Of the 30 adrenal pheochromocytomas, 15 (50%) were diploid. Thirteen (93%) of the 14 carotid body tumors were diploid. Five of seven (71%) glomus jugulare tumors and two of five (40%) extraadrenal paragangliomas were aneuploid. During a mean follow-up of 57 months (range, 1 month to 36 years) of 44 patients with 47 paragangliomas, 33 (75%) were alive and without disease; 7 (16%), including 1 glomus jugulare, 2 carotid body and 4 pheochromocytoma patients, developed recurrences/metastases. By multivariate analysis, image cytometric DNA ploidy was predictive of disease-free survival for adrenal pheochromocytomas. No significant differences in overall survival, disease-free survival or recurrence/metastasis rate were noted between other diploid and aneuploid tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
Aneuploidy suggests a risk of early recurrence for adrenal pheochromocytomas.
Held
E L
EL
Department of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Gal
A A
AA
DeRose
P B
PB
Cohen
C
C
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002345:Carotid Body Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005925:Glomus Jugulare Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019044:Image Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D008867:Microtomy; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm