Korean J Hematol.  2010 Sep;45(3):193-196. 10.5045/kjh.2010.45.3.193.

Image analytic study of nuclear area in mantle cell lymphoma

• Baek T
• Huh J
• Kwak H
• Park M
• Lee H

• KMID: 2252063
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5045/kjh.2010.45.3.193

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Malignant lymphomas are classified on the basis of morphology, immunohistochemistry, and genetic and molecular biological features. Morphology is considered the most important and basic feature. Lymphomas can be classified as small, medium, or large depending on the cell size, but this criterion tends to be rather subjective. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of an objective approach based on quantitative measurements.
METHODS
Twenty specimens of mantle cell lymphoma and 2 specimens of the tonsil were examined. The nuclear area of 6,401 tumor cells of mantle cell lymphoma and 743 normal mantle cells of reactive tonsils were measured by 3 authors by using a user-controlled image-analyzer. The images of the nuclei were outlined using the spline method and the i-solution software, and the data were assessed using ANOVA and Student's t-test.
RESULTS
The mean nuclear areas of mantle cell lymphoma cells measured by the 3 authors were 37.9 [7.9] microm2, 37.9 [7.2] microm2, and 38.2 [7.7] microm2 and those of normal mantle cells in reactive tonsil were 28.6 [2.3] microm2, 28.8 [2.0] microm2, and 27.0 [3.0] microm2. There was no statistical difference between the 3 observations of mantle cell lymphoma (P=0.580) and normal tonsils.
CONCLUSION
For morphology, nuclear area is considered an important feature in the classification schemes of lymphoma. We showed that nuclear area measurement by using image analyzer can be used as an objective quantitative method. We think that nuclear morphometry may play a significant role in the diagnosis of lymphoma.

Keyword

Image analysis; Morphometry; Nuclear area; Mantle cell lymphoma

MeSH Terms

Cell Size
Immunohistochemistry
Lymphoma
Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell
Palatine Tonsil

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Image analysis of mantle cell lymphoma. The image was captured and analyzed using the spline method and i-solution software (hematoxylin & Eosin, ×400).

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  Fig. 2 Distribution of the nuclear area in mantle cell lymphoma. The majority of the values of nuclear area was measured and ranged from 30 to 40 µm2.

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  Fig. 3 Comparison of the nuclear area for each case measured by observer A, B, and C. Bars represent mean±SD; , author A; , author B; , author C. No significant difference was found by ANOVA (P=0.580). N1, normal mantle cells of tonsil 1; N2, normal mantle cell of tonsil.

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