Spectral morphometric characterization of breast carcinoma cells

The spectral morphometric characteristics of standard haematoxylin and eosi n breast carcinoma specimens were evaluated by light microscopy combined wi th a spectral imaging system. Light intensity at each wavelength in the ran ge of 450-800 nm was recorded for 10(4) pixels from each field and represen ted as transmitted light spectra. A library of six characteristic spectra s erved to scan the cells and reconstruct new images depicting the nuclear ar ea occupied by each spectrum. Fifteen cases of infiltrating ductal carcinom a and six cases of lobular carcinoma were examined; nine of the infiltratin g ductal carcinoma and three of the lobular carcinoma showed an in situ com ponent. The spectral morphometric analysis revealed a correlation between s pecific patterns of spectra and different groups of breast carcinoma cells. The most consistent result was that lobular carcinoma cells of in situ and infiltrating components from all patients showed a similar spectral patter n, whereas ductal carcinoma cells displayed spectral variety. Comparison of the in situ and the infiltrating ductal solid, cribriform and comedo carci noma cells from the same patient revealed a strong similarity of the spectr al elements and their relative distribution in the nucleus. The spectrum de signated as number 5 in the library incorporated more than 40% of the nucle ar area in 74.08% of the infiltrating lobular cells and in 13.64% of the in filtrating ductal carcinoma cells (P < 0.001). Spectrum number 2 appeared i n all infiltrating ductal cells examined and in none of the lobular cells. These results indicate that spectrum number 5 is related to infiltrating lo bular carcinoma, whereas spectrum number 2 is characteristic for infiltrati ng ductal carcinoma cells. Spectral similarity mapping of central necrotic regions of comedo type in situ carcinoma revealed nuclear fragmentation int o defined segments composed of highly condensed chromatin. We conclude that the spectral morphometric features found for lobular and ductal cell popul ations may serve future automated histological diagnostics.