Cytological detection of epithelial dysplasia in the oral mucosa using feulgen‐DNA‐image cytometry

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Cytological scrape material of the oral mucosa from 114 patients with epithelial dysplasia and with oral cancer was stained with the Feulgen-reaction and investigated with an image analyzer. The size and the integrated optical density of cell nuclei, and four chromatin texture features were measured. All tumor slides contained cell nuclei with DNA > 5c, 16% of the slides had cell nuclei with DNA > 8c. A total of 14.5% of the tumor patients showed significantly increased DNA values in nuclei distant from the tumor. Two smears with severe epithelial dysplasia showed nuclei with DNA > 5c both in the tumor material and far from the tumor. Texture analysis allowed discrimination between benign, dysplastic and malignant smears. No correlation was found between DNA content and tumor staging. Image cytometry was a reliable method for detecting tumor cells. Epithelial dysplasia in areas distant from the tumor isprobably due to “Feld canceration” of the epithelium.

This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit: