[Cytomorphometric analysis of normal, premalignant and malignant nasopharyngeal epithelium]

Cellular morphology of nasopharyngeal epithelium in 76 specimens was quantitatively analyzed by stereological technique using point-counting method. There were 18 normal epithelium, 16 simple hyperplasia and metaplasia, 18 dysplasia and 24 untreated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Altogether 19 parameters were morphometrically measured and calculated. The results showed that with the process of malignant transformation the great majority of cellular parameters gradually changed. There was no marked difference between the normal and simple hyperplastic and metaplastic epithelium. The majority of parameters of dysplastic cells were significantly different as compared with the other three groups. It is highly suggestive that the transitional nature of dysplasia from the normal to the malignant cells shows no significant difference concerning these three parameters in terms of mean cellular area (MCA), the standard deviation of nuclear area (SDNA) and surface area per unit volume of nucleus (SsV). However, it is valuable to analyze these three parameters in discriminating the precancerous lesions. Six of the 19 parameters processed by multivariate stepwise analysis were useful in discriminary functions. The 76 specimens as re-estimated by these 6 functions gave a conformation rate of 91% to the clinicopathologic diagnosis. Cytomorphometric analysis might be of predictive value in the diagnosis of early malignant change in the nasopharyngeal epithelium.