Correlation between AgNOR count and subjective AgNOR pattern assessment score in cytology and histology of breast lumps.
OBJECTIVE
To find the correlation of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) count and subjective AgNOR pattern assessment (SAPA) score in cytology and histology of breast lumps.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 73 patients (46 malignant, 27 benign) with breast lumps. In all cases, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) samples and histologic specimens were studied by conventional and silver staining for AgNORs.


RESULTS
AgNOR count and SAPA score were helpful in differentiating benign from malignant tumors in both the cytologic smear and histologic specimen. AgNOR count was 6.94+/-2.74 in FNAC and 6.57+/-2.73 in histology of malignant tumors, while in benign tumors it was 2.75+/-0.74 in FNAC and 2.68+/-0.77 in histology. SAPA score was 9.02+/-4.60 in FNAC and 8.76+/-2.34 in histology in malignant tumors and 5.87+/-0.93 in FNAC and 5.82+/- 0.83 in histology in benign tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
Both AgNOR count and SAPA score gave similar results, but SAPA score is a more convenient, reproducible and rapid method of AgNOR evaluation.
Khanna
A K
AK
Department of Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. akk_dr@satyam.net.in
Ansari
M A
MA
Kumar
M
M
Khanna
A
A
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016622:Silver Staining