FINDINGS OF COMPUTERIZED NUCLEAR MORPHOMETRY OF PAPILLARY THYROID-CARCINOMA IN CORRELATION WITH KNOWN PROGNOSTIC FACTORS

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the usefulness of nuclear morphometry in the pathology of papillary thyroid carcinoma by compute r-aided image analysis and the statistical comparison of nuclear morph ometric parameters with age of patients, tumor size and the presence o r not of thyroid capsule invasion. Thirty three cases of papillary thy roid carcinoma were classified in two groups according to patients' ag e (group I:<45 years and group II:>45 years), according to tumor's siz e (group I:<2.5 cm, group II:>2.5 cm) and to the presence or not of th yroid capsule invasion (group I: invasion (+), group II: no invasion ( -)). The following six nuclear morphometric parameters were measured i n a large number of randomly selected nuclei of each case: area, perim eter, major axis length, minor axis length, elongation and roundness. The statistical analysis was performed using special algorithms and th e results of the two groups of each prognostic factor examined, were c ompared for each of the measured parameter using the t-test. When the classification was associated with age it was shown that younger peopl e (group I) have lower area, perimeter, major axis length, elongation and roundness means of papillary thyroid carcinoma nuclei than older o nes (group II) whereas minor axis length did not show any difference b etween the two groups. When the classification was associated with tum or size it was shown that younger people (group I) have lower area, pe rimeter, major axis length means of papillary thyroid carcinoma nuclei than older ones (group II) whereas minor axis length, elongation and roundness did not show any difference between the two groups. Finally, when the cases were classified according to the presence or not of th e capsule invasion it was shown that younger people (group I) have low er area, perimeter, major axis length means of papillary thyroid carci noma nuclei than older ones (group II) whereas roundness did not showe d any difference between the two groups. On the other hand younger peo ple (group I) have higher elongation and roundness means than the olde r ones (group II). Nuclear morphometry in association with the patient s' follow-up could represent an important prognostic index for papilla ry thyroid carcinoma.