DNA content of parathyroid tumors.

BACKGROUND

The significance of DNA ploidy in indicating the benign or malignant character of parathyroid and other endocrin tumors is controversial.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

DNA content of paraffin embedded parathyroid samples from 25 patients was measured with flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The DNA index (DI) was 1.0 in all nonneoplastic samples as well as in 50% of adenomas (10/20) and in one carcinoma (1/2). The remaining 45% of the adenoma cases (9/20) and the other carcinoma showed doubled DNA content (DI = 1.9-2.0). The increased DI did not correlate with either clinical data (sex, age, tumor size, preoperative serum Ca++ or parathormone, primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism) or morphology.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that the DI has no value in deciding the benign or malignant character of a given sample. However, the prognostic value of tetraploidization (the potentially increased risk for malignancy) could not be ruled out.