Computerized morphometric study on fine needle aspirates of cellular follicular lesions of the thyroid.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the value of computerized nuclear morphometry in the differential diagnosis of cellular follicular lesions of the thyroid cytologically diagnosed on fine needle aspiration (FNA) smears.


METHODS
Sixty cases of FNA thyroid smears were cytologically diagnosed and classified as follows: 30 cases of follicular carcinoma, 20 cases of cellular hyperplastic nodules and 10 cases of follicular adenoma. Using an image analysis system, two morphometric variables, nuclear area and major axis length of the nucleus, were measured for each case.


RESULTS
For both nuclear morphometric variables, statistical differences were found between carcinomas and hyperplastic nodules as well as between carcinomas and adenomas. No statistical differences were found between the nuclear variables in either hyperplastic nodules or adenomas.


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm the aim of our study, to establish nuclear morphometry by computerized image analysis as an additional tool in the differential diagnosis of thyroid follicular lesions cytologically diagnosed on FNA smears.
Tseleni-Balafouta
S
S
Department of Pathology, University of Athens Medical School, Greece.
Kavantzas
N
N
Paraskevakou
H
H
Davaris
P
P
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000473:pathology*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000473:pathology*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D048429:Cell Size; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000473:pathology*