title: Vascular fractal dimension and total vascular area in the study of oral cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microvessel quantification has been studied extensively as a factor reflecting angiogenesis in various malignant tumors. The aim of our study was to evaluate the vascular fractal dimension and the immunohistochemically positive total vascular area in oral cavity carcinomas in order to assess their potential value as factors reflecting angiogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histologic sections from 48 carcinomas and 17 nonmalignant mucosa specimens were evaluated by image analysis using fractal analysis software. Total vascular area was also quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carcinomas presented higher mean values of vascular fractal dimension and total vascular area compared to normal mucosa. The difference for the vascular fractal dimension was statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence that vascular fractal dimension could be used as a reliable factor reflecting angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma and that there are several statistically significant correlations among total vascular area, vascular fractal dimension, nuclear size, and clinicopathologic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Dental School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. lgoutzan@dent.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Lampros P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Goutzanis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papadogeorgakis
authors.forename: Petros M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pavlopoulos
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Petsinis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Plochoras
authors.forename: Efstathios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eleftheriadis
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pantelidaki
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Patsouris
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alexandridis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D017709:Fractals; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D012189:Retrospective Studies