Value of image cytometry in the subclassification of rhabdomyosarcoma.
OBJECTIVE
To test the discriminatory capability of nuclear features in the subclassification of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and especially to differentiate embryonal from alveolar RMS.


METHODS
The study included 42 patients with RMS. We performed the analysis on Feulgen-stained filtrates of cell suspensions prepared from deparaffinized tissue sections. Image analysis was performed by an automated, high-resolution image cytometer on at least 200 nuclear images. Photometric, morphometric and nuclear texture features were analyzed. Probability density distributions were calculated for each nuclear feature of individual RMS subgroups and compared in order to detect possible differences.


RESULTS
There were significant differences between embryonal and alveolar RMS in five nuclear features: DNA index, sphericity, elongation, low_DNA_area and fractall_area. We were able to differentiate between the two main RMS subgroups in 82% of cases on the basis of either sphericity or elongation alone, while the power of differentiation for texture features was 72-79%.


CONCLUSIONS
Differentiation between embryonal and alveolar RMS using one nuclear feature is not an important adjunct to light microscopy. However, the possibility of using a combination of nuclear features would probably increase the discriminatory ability.
Department of Cytopathology, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia. zpohar@onko-i.si
Ziva
Z
Pohar-Marinsek
Marija
M
Us-Krasovec
Rastko
R
Golouh
Mario
M
Zganec
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D048429:Cell Size; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D019044:Image Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D018232:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D018233:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*