Quantitative Histopathology in Superficial Bladder Tumors: The Value of Mean Nuclear Size in Progression and Recurrence

Authors: GÜLSÜM ÖZLEM ELPEK, TEKİNALP GELEN, GÜLTEN KARPUZOĞLU, OSMAN SAKA

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quanititation of the nuclear size of tumor cells in superficial bladder carcinomas in progression and recurrence. Thirty-four cases diagnosed primarily as superficial bladder carcinoma grade II without muscle invasion (Stage pTa and pT1) between 1986-1993 at the Department of Pathology of Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine were analysed in three groups: 1- Ten cases without recurrent tumor. 2- Twelve cases with primary and recurrent superficial bladder tumor. 3- Twelve cases with superficial primary tumor and recurrent tumor with muscle invasion. The mean nuclear diameter of the tumor cells were obtained by using simple light microscopic morphometric analysis. On each slide the diameters of 800 cells were measured and the mean nuclear volume of each was calculated. In group 1, the mean nuclear volume was 142±9.58 µm 3 . In group 2 and 3 the mean nuclear volumes were 207±39.5 µm 3 and 299±36.5 µm 3 , respectively. Our results showed that the primary tumors with high mean nuclear volume had higher rates of recurrences and muscle invasion than the primary tumors with low nuclear volumes and quantitation of nuclear size couldd be beneficial for follow-up of the recurrence and progression of grade II superficial bladder tumors.

Keywords: Morphometry, Bladder, Transitional Cell Carcinoma.

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