Flow and image cytometry in thymic neoplasia: correlation with clinical outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To compare nuclear DNA by flow (FCM) and image cytometry (ICM) in thymic neoplasms and to relate results to clinical outcome.


METHODS
DNA ploidy of 44 thymomas and 6 thymic carcinomas was studied by FCM and ICM of single nuclear suspensions from paraffin blocks.


RESULTS
By FCM, 33 thymomas (75%) and one thymic carcinoma (17%) were diploid; 6 thymomas (14%) and 4 thymic carcinomas (67%) were aneuploid. By ICM, 36 thymomas (82%) were diploid; 7 thymomas (16%) and 6 thymic carcinomas (100%) were aneuploid. Mean follow-up in 44 cases was 46.2 months (range, 1-162). Ten patients with persistent/recurrent disease included four with thymic carcinoma, who died of the disease (two aneuploid by both techniques, two aneuploid by ICM with unsatisfactory/diploid FCM). Four had invasive thymoma and recurrence after 13-150 months (two diploid and two aneuploid by both methods), one had diploidy and noninvasive thymoma that recurred at 92 months, and one had an epithelial thymoma that recurred at 144 months (aneuploid by FCM, diploid by ICM).


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained in this preliminary, retrospective study show a high concordance between FCM and ICM; aneuploidy correlated with poor outcome by both methodologies. While these findings are encouraging, larger numbers of cases will be needed to define the role of FCM and ICM in predicting outcome in thymic tumors.
Kenny-Moynihan
M B
MB
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health, Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
DeRose
P B
PB
Gal
A A
AA
Chakraborty
H
H
Cohen
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D019044:Image Cytometry / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013945:Thymoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm