Karyometric features differentiate early invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma from preinvasive carcinoma

The aim of the study was to investigate whether karyometric features reflect phenotypic change from preinvasive to early invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix uteri. The material for the study was obtained from 12 patients diagnosed in the Chair of Pathomorphology. Each specimen contained both preinvasive and microinvasive lesions. The system of image acquisition and analysis consisted of a microscope coupled with a CCD camera and a PC computer. The software based on AnalySIS 3.0 system (Soft Imaging Systems GmbH) automatically detected cell nuclei and measured the preselected parameters. In each case 250 cell nuceli from both preinvasive and invasive components were analyzed. Significant differences in basic karyometric parameters were found both within individual cases and especially between groups studied. The present findings confirm the presence of early cytological changes at the onset of invasion. From the practical viewpoint the results suggest that karyometric features measured by image analysis might be used as a diagnostic tool, especially in cases where the diagnosis of microinvasion is difficult.