A morphometric semiautomated method for analyzing cell nuclei in lymph node sections from non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Significance of data.

A semiautomated electronic system has been employed for sizing nuclear area and for evaluating nuclear form factors in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas with the purpose to correlate these parameters with survival and histotype. By mathematical models for best fits correlating the dependent variables with the survival has been demonstrated that an inverse correlation corresponding to a negative exponential function exists between mean nuclear area and survival. It has also been shown that the nuclear form is less irregular (i.e. more similar to an ellipse) when the mean nuclear area ranges from 12.5 to 20 mu2 and from 30 to 37.5 mu2 than when it ranges from 20 to 30 mu2. Lymphomas of low-grade malignancy are characterized by a mean nuclear area which is significantly lower than that of lymphomas of high-grade malignancy. The authors believe that morphometrical analysis of the nuclear area and of the form factors may eliminate subjectivity and give reproducible data to be used in both classification and prognosis of lymphomas.