Nuclear morphometry in cytological specimens of canine ceruminous adenomas and carcinomas

Abstract

Stained cytological specimens from eight canine ceruminous adenomas and eight canine ceruminous carcinomas were analysed by computer-assisted nuclear morphometry. Three carcinomas had metastases in regional lymph nodes at the time of the diagnosis. The morphometric parameters evaluated in this study were mean nuclear area (MNA, µm(2) ), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP, µm), mean nuclear diameter (D mean, µm), minimum nuclear diameter (D min, µm) and maximum nuclear diameter (D max, µm). The study aimed to evaluate (1) the possibility of using nuclear cytomorphometry as an auxiliary diagnostic method to differentiate between canine ceruminous adenomas and adenocarcinomas, and (2) the prognostic value of nuclear morphometry in canine ceruminous carcinomas. The results indicated that (1) MNA, MNP, D mean, D min and D max could be used as effective auxiliary tools for differential diagnosis between canine ceruminous adenomas and adenocarcinomas, and (2) MNA, MNP, D mean and D max are reliable prognostic indicators for canine ceruminous adenocarcinomas.