NUCLEAR MORPHOMETRY IN SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA (SCC) OF THE TONGUE

In the histological grading of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) nuc lear features are very important. Nevertheless evaluation is usually p erformed in a subjective and not highly reproducible way. The aim of t his work was to investigate the relationship between nuclear shape and survival in 30 cases of carcinoma of the tongue. All the patients wer e divided into two groups: short-term survival and long-term survival. Twenty nuclei for each tumour were submitted to a morphometrical stud y by the shape analytical morphometry (SAM) software system. It was th us possible to evaluate not only nuclear dimensions but also nuclear c ontour irregularities and nuclear shape asymmetries. Multivariate disc riminant analysis (MDA) of the quantitative parameters obtained by the morphometrical study distinguished the patients of the two groups wit h only a 10% error; moreover successful cluster analysis was performed by using Fourier parameters. Both these sets of results were achieved mainly owing to the parameters for contour irregularities. (C) 1996 E lsevier Science Ltd