Morphometry in endocrine pathology.

The most important purposes of morphometry in endocrine pathology are described. With the introduction of immunocytochemical techniques by Sternberger in 1969 a new field for detailed morphometric analysis in endocrine pathology was opened. The application of morphometry in combination with the immunocytochemical staining of cells is illustrated by studies of the role of gastrin and gastric secretion in the etiology of duodenal ulcer. For such studies morphologic alterations have to be quantified. Morphometry as an instrument for characterizing diseases has been used in various fields, e.g. to analyse nesidioblastosis, diabetes mellitus or papillary carcinomas of the thyroid gland.