THE USE OF DIGITAL CELL IMAGE-ANALYSIS OF FEULGEN-STAINED NUCLEI TO QUANTITATIVELY DESCRIBE MORPHONUCLEAR FEATURES IN A SERIES OF 174 MENINGIOMAS

The morphonuclear characteristics of 174 meningiomas were quantitative ly described by means of the digital cell image analyses of Feulgen-st ained nuclei. For this purpose, archival material, i.e., formalin-fixe d paraffin-embedded pronase-digested tumors, was used. The present wor k specifically focuses on the morphonuclear features of angioblastic m eningiomas to localize them with respect to classical as opposed to ma lignant meningiomas. The results show that angioblastic meningiomas, i .e., hemangioblastomas, have morphonuclear characteristics that are ve ry similar to those of classical meningiomas, i.e., meningotheliomatou s, fibroblastic, transitional, angiomatous, and psammomatous types, an d that are significantly distinct from those of malignant meningiomas. Malignant meningiomas, i.e., the hemangiopericytic and histologic fea tures of malignancy types, are not only significantly different from c lassical meningiomas in their morphonuclear characteristics but are al so very different among themselves. In conclusion, the quantitative de scription of chromatin features by means of digital cell image analyse s confirms at the morphonuclear level the adherence of hemangioblastom as to the group of classical meningiomas, as suggested by the World He alth Organization's histopathologic classification.