MEASUREMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF STEREOLOGICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL METHODS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID-TUMORS

Seventy-two female mice of BALB/c strain were divided into three contr ol and three perchlorate groups. The perchlorate groups drank 1.2% sod ium perchlorate solution. After 8 or 32 weeks of the 46-week experimen t one control and one perchlorate group were totally irradiated with 0 .8 Gy on 5 consecutive days. Ten normal thyroid glands, 10 with hypert rophy and hyperplasia, 8 follicular adenomas and 10 follicular carcino mas were histologically and stereologically analysed. The results show ed significant differences in the average nuclear volume (p < 0.05) an d in the average number of the silver-stained nucleolar organiser regi ons (AgNORs) per nucleus (p < 0.005) between the follicular adenomas a nd the follicular carcinomas. The method of counting Ag-NORs per nucle us was more valid, more accurate and more economical than the method o f measuring the average nuclear volume.