Df. Fischler et al., DNA CONTENT BY IMAGE-ANALYSIS - AN ACCURATE DISCRIMINATOR OF MALIGNANCY IN PERICARDIAL-EFFUSIONS, Analytical and quantitative cytology and histology, 16(3), 1994, pp. 167-173
DNA analysis was performed on 20 cytologically equivocal pericardial e
ffusions to determine if it would be a useful ancillary technique in i
dentifying malignancy. Ploidy determination by interactive image analy
sis showed single diploid DNA peaks, with no cells > 5c, in all eight
reactive cases studied. The reactive cases had a mean proliferation in
dex of 1.3. All 12 malignant cases studied had cells with DNA content
> 5c. A dominant DNA peak at 2c was present in 25%, dominant aneuploid
stem lines were present in 25%, and multiple stem lines were present
in 50% of the malignant cases. By image analysis, the presence of DNA
content > 5c was both sensitive and specific for detecting malignancy
in the group of pericardial effusions evaluated.