USEFULNESS OF COMPUTER-AIDED KARYOMETRIC EXAMINATION IN PREOPERATIVE DIFFERENTIATION OF HURTHLE CELL LESIONS

We have previously reported that there is a significant difference in the mean size of thyrocyte nuclei among patients with nodular goiter f ollicular adenoma, and follicular carcinoma. In the present study we h ave examined karyometric parameters of Hurthle cells in smears collect ed from 41 patients with Hurthle cells adenomas, Hurthle cells carcino mas, nodular goiter and lymphocytic thyroiditis. The karyometric evalu ation was performed with the image analysis computer system-Karyometry Manager 1.2. We measured the mean volume, the mean intel section area , and rite mean perimeter of 100 nuclei in each routine smear. We Soun d that the sizes of Hurthle cell nuclei could be arranged in the ascen ding order from the nodular goiter through lymphocytic thyroiditis to Hurthle cell neoplasms, but those differences did not I-each a border of statistical significance. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.