[Initial results of image cytometric DNA analysis in the evaluation of prognosis in papillary thyroid cancer].

In this study we analysed DNA-ploidy as a potential prognostic parameter in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Paraffin embedded histological material, obtained by resection from 19 patients with a papillary thyroid carcinoma, was selected for analysis. Tumor areas within the paraffin-embedded material were identified by HE-stained reference sections. One 50 microns section was dewaxed, rehydrated and mechanically and enzymatically prepared to form a suspension of 10,000 cells/ml. 1 ml of the suspension, which contained bare nuclei with small rests of cytoplasma, was centrifuged on glass slides. The fixed nuclei were air-dried and stained by Feulgen SITS technique, which allows for the quantitative measurement of DNA. The DNA analysis was carried out with a computer-controlled single-cell cytophotometry. In contrast to using flow cytometry, only the tumor cells were measured by image-cytometry. Overlapping nuclei, dirt and other artifacts as well as inflammatory cells were efficiently eliminated. With DNA image-cytometry, we could differentiate between diploid (n = 13) and aneuploid (n = 6) tumors. Best prognosis with a survival rate of 92% after 103 months had patients with diploid tumors in contrast to patients with aneuploid tumors who did not survive more than 72 months.