title: Nuclear morphometry in cytopathology: a prognostic indicator for canine cutaneous mast cell tumors.
abstract: Twenty-nine canine cutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs) were morphometrically analyzed with regard to mean nuclear area (MNA) using cytopathology smears. The results showed a correlation between MNA and survival. When graded into 2 morphometrically different groups, there were statistically significant differences among high- and low-grade MCTs, regarding both Romanowsky-type stain and hematoxylin and eosin. Cytomorphometry could also separate histologic grade II tumors with better prognosis from the more aggressive MCTs. The results indicated that nuclear morphometry on cytopathology preparations can predict the biological behavior of cutaneous MCTs in dogs in an independent manner, yielding a rapid and reproducible diagnosis, which renders the method useful for veterinary oncology.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil. rstrefezzi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ricardo de Francisco
authors.initials: Rde F
authors.lastname: Strefezzi
authors.forename: José Guilherme
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Silvia Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kleeb
authors.forename: José Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Catão-Dias
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000662:veterinary; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors