FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF GROWTH HORMONE-SECRETING PITUITARY-ADENOMAS

Flow cytometric DNA analysis was performed on samples of paraffin-embe dded and fresh adenomatous pituitary tissue removed from 16 patients w ith growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenomas. Histograms consi stent with aneuploidy were found in 5 of 16 patients. The flow cytomet ric patterns on fresh and paraffin-embedded tissues yielded similar re sults. Ploidy did not correlate with the clinical course or the endocr ine profiles in these patients. We conclude that flow cytometric DNA a nalysis can detect aneuploidy in adenomatous pituitary tissue, but it does not predict the clinical course of GH-secreting adenomas.