Morphometric image analysis of follicular lesions of the thyroid.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the role of image morphometry in distinguishing various follicular lesions of the thyroid in cytologic smears.


METHODS
Archival fine needle aspiration smears of 10 cases each of follicular hyperplasia, follicular adenoma, follicular carcinoma and follicular variant of papillary carcinoma were used for the study. All cases were histopathologically proven. At least 100 random nuclei from each case were subjected to analysis with an image cytometer. Area, convex area, length, width, perimeter, convex perimeter and roundness of nuclei were measured using a 40 x objective (1 pixel = 0.446 micron).


RESULTS
ANOVA showed that all the nuclear variables studied were significantly different (P < .05) in follicular hyperplasia as compared to follicular carcinoma and papillary carcinoma. All nuclear variables except roundness were also significantly different (P < .05) between follicular hyperplasia and follicular adenoma. However, between follicular adenoma, follicular carcinoma and papillary carcinoma there was considerable overlap of nuclear morphometric parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
Image morphometry may help to distinguish nonneoplastic follicular lesions (hyperplasia) from neoplastic lesions (adenomas and carcinomas). However, to distinguish benign from malignant follicular lesions, image morphometry might not improve the accuracy of standard cytologic examination.
Rajesh
Logdsundaram
L
Department of Cytopathology and Histopathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.
Saha
Mahamaya
M
Radhika
Srinivasan
S
Das Radotra
Bishan
B
Rajwanshi
Arvind
A
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D019044:Image Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*