Morphometric analysis of the degree of aggregation of follicular cells in the diagnosis of malignant thyroid tumors.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a system of decision criteria based on a set of features of the degree of thyrocyte aggregation with assessment of their weighting coefficient in the diagnosis of malignant and benign thyroid pathology.


METHODS
Autopsy, operative and aspiration biopsy material were the object of the study. Light microscopic morphometry was performed with semiautomated computer analysis of images.


RESULTS
Of all the sets of features of the degree of thyrocyte aggregation, 10 were chosen that provided the least overlap between the groups of malignant and benign pathology. Boundary values of these features to discriminate between malignant and benign pathology were assembled into a set of diagnostic decision criteria for thyroid carcinoma diagnosis. Based on results from trials, an equation for the calculation of a weighting coefficient for each feature was derived. A diagnostic index was determined by the sum of values of weighting coefficients of the features within the range of values listed in the set of diagnostic decision criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
A set of diagnostic decision criteria was developed for thyroid carcinoma diagnosis that is based on morphometric features reflecting the regularities of changes in the structure of thyrocyte aggregates with malignant and benign pathology. Weighting coefficients of features were assessed, making it possible to perform a probabilistic carcinoma diagnosis.
Kirillov
Vladimir A
VA
Research Clinical Institute for Radiation Medicine and Endocrinology, 23 Philimonova Street, 220114 Minsk, Belarus. abl@newman.bas-net.by
Yuschenko
Yury P
YP
Paplevka
Andrey A
AA
Demidchik
Evgeny P
EP
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*