Tumor cord and growth in human brain tumors based on mathematical morphology.

The growth of human brain tumor was quantitatively investigated by using the anti-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) monoclonal antibody and the texture analyzing system (TAS). Tissues from thirty eight patients consisting of 22 gliomas, 8 brain metastases, 1 cerebellar hemangioblastoma and 7 normal white matters were applied in this study. Mean values of growth fractions (GFs) were 29.4% in group 1, 14.8% in group 2, and 6.5% in group 3. The higher value of GFs showed a significantly larger degree of perivascular aggregation of S-phase cells (DPAS). The mean number of cells in each tumor cord was approximately 20, which is not significantly larger than that of the normal group. But there was a significant difference between the non-selected area of the histologically malignant or benign gliomas and the proliferating area of the biologically malignant or benign brain tumors (t-value; p less than 0.001). A significant difference was also noticed in the mean area and diameter of tumor cords (t-value; p less than 0.001). From the point of view of biological behavior in human brain tumor, it is suggested that one tumor cord contains approximately 20 viable cells in the proliferating area in both benign and malignant brain tumors, and that if viable cells increase to more than 20 cells in one TC, necrotic cells and the diameter and area of the TC will increase, because the vessel-density is decreased by the occlusion of the vessels and the death of the endothels.