A simple "expert system" for morphometric evaluation of cells in pleural effusions.

Quantitation in diagnostic pathology serves to improve both diagnostic reliability and the prognosis of various malignant tumors. Unfortunately, flexible, user-friendly, reasonably priced and compatible morphometric systems are hardly available on the market. A modular Apple II PC-based system was therefore developed in-house. It records stereologic, planimetric and digital image analysis data and calculates secondary parameters. Detailed statistical analyses can be performed, after data transfer, on larger computers. A typical application of diagnostic morphometry is to determine whether, and with which probability a patient with an unclear histopathologic finding can be assigned to one or more groups of patients with known diseases and prognoses. To this end morphometric data of the patient under investigation are compared with other patient data stored in an expert system. This paper describes the concept of an expert system carried out on the Apple II PC system mentioned above and outlines the evaluation procedures. Invariant moments were used to describe nucleus textures. Results obtained from the cytological analysis of pleural effusions demonstrate that with this approach it is possible to differentiate between normal mesothelium, mesothelioma and metastases of adenocarcinomas.