Nuclear DNA content, proliferation index and nuclear size determination in normal and tumoral adrenal tissues, pheochromocytomas and metastases.

The diagnostic values of nuclear size, proliferation index and ploidy level were investigated in a series of 58 samples from adrenal glands, including 9 samples from normal adrenal glands, 18 adenomas, 3 carcinomas, 16 pheochromocytomas and 12 metastases. Nuclear assessments were computed on Feulgen-stained nuclei by means of a cell image processor. Ploidy level was assessed by means of both the DNA index and DNA histogram type. The results show that nuclear size and proliferation index do not allow any discrimination between these various histopathologic subgroups. The measurement of ploidy level made it possible to obtain helpful information about these various histopathologic groups. Indeed, all the normal cases (except one from a malignant kidney tissue) and all adenomas (except one) were diploid, while most (but not all) of the remaining cases, including carcinomas, pheochromocytomas and metastases, were aneuploid. Furthermore, with this measurement we were able to show that some tendencies appear across these histopathologic groups. Indeed, the metastases contained a high proportion of aneuploid cases, whereas pheochromocytomas were frequently tetraploid. The results also show that the assessment of ploidy level by means of the DNA histogram type is more accurate than with measurement of the DNA index.