[Quantitation of myelofibrosis in blood diseases by electronic image analysis (author's transl)]

Normal and pathologic reticulin networks colored black by silver nitrate can be automatically quantitated by electronic image analysis. By using this technique, different parameters can be obtained, such as the average density, the surface of network meshes, the thickness of the fibers, the complexity of the reticulum, and the heterogeneity of the myelofibrosis distribution. All of these parameters were obtained in 83 osteomedullar biopsies of blood diseases (primary splenomegaly, chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythermia vera, acute leukemia, and aplastic anemia). We have shown that there is no relation between the different parameters obtained and the medullary richness, hematopoietic center, or patient survival. On the other hand, the histomorphometric parameters can be used to distinguish acute leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia myelofibrosis, while the parameters in primary splenomegaly are shown to be very heterogeneous.