A morphometric analysis of cytological features of tall cell variant and classical papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

In order to assess whether morphometric parameters could be of value in dis tinguishing between tall cell variant and classical pattern of thyroid papi llary carcinoma, the fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) samples of 14 c ases were analysed using Arcimage 5 software on an Acorn computer. Histolog ical examination of the specimens allowed classification of nine of them as classical pattern and the remaining five as tall cell variants. The nuclea r diameter (NDD) and standard deviation distribution (NDSDD), the nuclear a rea (NAD) and standard deviation distribution (NASDD), and the nuclear/cyto plasmic ratio (NCR) were assessed on May-Grunwald-Giemsa stained smears. St atistical analysis was performed by use of one-way analysis of variance (AN OVA) Of the two groups as identified by histology, Whilst NDD (P = 0,007), NAD (P = 0.015) and NADSD (P = 0.026) all appeared statistically significan t, NDSDD (P = 0.06) and NCR (P = 0.71) were not, The cytological diagnosis of papillary carcinoma is established and reproducible, but morphometric da ta on the thyroid have so far focused on the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant nodules. The choice of simple morphometric parameters appears to be helpful in the preoperative distinction between the classica l pattern and tall cell variant of papillary carcinoma.