[Karyometric studies of meningiomas].

Of a total of 195 bioptically diagnosed meningiomas of the Pathological Institute of the Humboldt University Berlin of the period of 1963 to 1976, 21 meningiomas (5 endotheliomatous, fibromatous and angiomatous meningiomas, 6 malignant meningiomas) were selected and 10 parameters evaluated for a comparative morphometric analysis. The evaluated parameters describe quantitatively the numerical density of the nucleus, the size of the nucleus, the size of the nucleoli and the nucleus/plasma relation. Malignant meningiomas are distinguished from benign meningiomas by a significant enlargement of their nuclei, of the nucleoli and the nucleus/plasma relation. On the other hand, the numerical density of the nuclei can only be used conditionally for the discrimination of malignant and benign meningiomas; the numerical density of the nuclei of the malignant meningiomas is lower than that of the endotheliomatous meningiomas and larger than that of the fibromatous and angiomatous meningiomas. The article demonstrates the possibility to obtain a differentiation of groups of typical cases of malignant and benign meningiomas on the basis of morphometrical data. Conventional morphometry is a time consuming process and thus not suitable for routine work. In connection with automatic image evaluation procedures (automated microscopic image analysis, cytophotometry) ways are opened up for a wider application of morphometry and densitometry and a classification of individual tumour preparations.