A MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE NUCLEI AND NUCLEOLI IN TUMOR CELLS IN LYMPHOGRANULOMATOSIS, DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA AND ANAPLASTIC LARGE CELL LYMPHOMA

Aim. To make a comparative morphometric analysis of the nuclei and nucleoli of tumor cells in lymphogranulomatosis (LGM), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (A L CL) for differential diagnosis of these lymphomas. Material and methods. Biopsy material (lymph node biopsies) was frozen in hexan, fixed and stained, then microscopic pictures were made. Results. Mean area a tumor cell nuclei in LGM was 97.25 +/- 68.77 mcm(2), in DLBCL and ALCL - 55.89 +/- 20.13 mcm(2) and 70.31 +/- 34.64 mcm(2) respectively. The area differences were significant (p < 0.001). Hodgkin's and Berezovsky-Rid-Sternberg cell bucleoli area was the largest (11.44 +/- 7.83 mcm(2)). The nucleoli of the former are larger than those of the latter. Mean area of the nucleoli in DLBCL was 3.05 +/- 1.58, in ALCL - 5.53 +/- 4.94 mcm(2). The differences are significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Nucleoli in Hodgkin's cells are significantly larger than those in the tumor cells in ALCL and DLBCL and the nucleoli with the area more than 12 mcm(2) can be used in differential diagnosis between LGM and DLBCL but not between LGM and ALCL.