[Value of Markovian nuclear texture to predict progression in surface transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder]

The aim of this work has been to determine if the DNA and nuclear Markovian textures of tissue sections evaluated by image cytometry correlate with the histologic grade and the progression probability of superficial transitional carcinoma of the bladder. In our study, DNA ploidy is related to histologic grade in that aneuploidy frequency increases with a higher grade of malignancy. Image analyses of superficial TCC tissue sections of the bladder, has allowed us to identify "sub-visual parameters" as well as nuclear textures that according to our results can be useful in clarifying the evolutive behaviour of these tumours. Two Markovian textures that identify entropy (TXI) and mean internal contrast (TXB) allow to discriminate between histologic grades as well as progression or non-progression. In conclusion, image analysis cytometry of paraffin embedded tissue sections of TCC of the bladder supplies densitometric parameters related to grade and provides valuable information for the prediction of progression. Quantification of chromatin pattern description in Feulgen-stained nuclei using the Markovian method can be useful in this context.