CARCINOMA IN-SITU OF THE TESTIS DETECTED BY DNA FLOW-CYTOMETRY OF TESTICULAR FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATES

Testicular carcinoma in situ (CIS) is usually diagnosed histologically on surgical biopsies. The present study was performed to test an alte rnative approach-DNA flow cytometry (FCM) of testicular fine-needle as pirates (FNA)-for the detection of this lesion. FNAs from 18 cases of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) and tumor adjacent parenchyma were analysed by DNA FCM. DNA histograms of all cell nuclei and histograms representing selectively the hyperdloid compartment were analysed. The presence and extention of CIS were determined by histology and immuno histochemistry. In 16 of 18 cases, CIS was histologically present, whe reas aneuploid peaks were detected in only 11 cases in DNA histograms of all cell nuclei. In the analysis of the histograms of the hyperdipl oid region, 4 additional cases of CIS could be identified increasing t he sensitivity to 15/16 cases (93.8%). In all but one case, the DNA in dices of CIS and invasive tumors were identical. The study demonstrate s that DNA FCM of testicular FNAs using the described data acquisition and analysis could also be applicable for detection of CIS in a clini cal situation. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.