CYTOMETRY WITH DAPI-STAINED TUMOR IMPRINTS - A RELIABLE TOOL FOR IMPROVED INTRAOPERATIVE ANALYSIS OF LUNG NEOPLASMS

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility and potential use of applicati on of 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochlouide-stained imprints t aken from primary lung carcinomas for intraoperative frozen section se rvice. STUDY DESIGN: Tumor imprints taken from intraoperative sections were stained with the fluorochrome DAPI, and the integrated nuclear f lorescence (INF) was measured using an automated image analyzing syste m. The 40 cases studied comprised all major lung carcinoma types as we ll as intrapulmonary metastases. The measured features included percen tage of tumor cells > 3C and > 5C, S-phase-related tumor cell function , 2 CV standard deviation and INF entropy. RESULTS: Test series with i mprints of tumor-free lymph nodes revealed a minimum staining time of five minutes at 40 degrees C that led to reproducible staining intensi ties and size of the nuclear area. No significant differences were app arent in comparison to concomitantIy performed measurements of the int egrated optical density of ''classical'' Feulgen-stained specimens for each case. The fluorometric results could be submitted to the surgeon within 15-18 minutes (20 maximum). CONCLUSION: The data indicate that cytometric DNA measurements can be performed intraoperatively with re liable quality within time schedules acceptable for intraoperative sur gical strategies.