[Puncture cytology of the breast: correlation of visual and image analysis studies with hormone receptor status]

It is possible to predict to some extent the hormone receptor status of carcinomas of the breast via cytomorphology of fine needle biopsy specimens. In most cases the cytologically highly differentiated carcinomas are receptor-positive and the poorly differentiated ones receptor-negative if the cases are arranged in the sequence of increasing conspicuousness of cellular criteria of malignancy. Since visual microscopic examination is subjective by nature, quantification was carried out by means of high-resolution image analysis using Pappenheim stained slides. The quantitative image analysis grading system basing on this method proved to be even more efficient than visual diagnosis.