[Correlation between nuclear DNA content and cellular morphology in endometrial cancer--analysis by cell sorting with...

A comparative study of nuclear DNA content and morphological features of various endometrial lesions was carried out. The results were as follows: Similar nuclear DNA patterns were obtained by both FCM and fluorescence cytophotometry. On nuclear DNA histograms, a monopeak at 2C was shown in normal endometrium. In hyperplasia, a peak at 2C and a tapering pattern to 4C was shown. In endometrial cancer, 3C cells were characteristic of a well differentiated type, and polyploidy cells over 4C was specific for an anaplastic type. In a comparison of the nuclear area and nuclear DNA content, nuclear area correlates well with nuclear DNA content in 2C and 3C, and does not correlate well in polyploidy over 4C because of a chromatin conformation. In a comparison of nuclear DNA content with cellular morphology on endometrial cancer, 2C cells were 33.2 micron2, 3C were 55.8 micron2, and polyploidy were 78.1 micron2 in the nuclear area. It is easy to diagnose polyploidy as malignant, but very hard to recognize 2C and 3C cells as malignant. In a well differentiated type, the richness of 3C cells which are relatively hard to detect makes the diagnosis difficult. To make a correct diagnosis, not only polyploidy cells but 3C cells have to be detected precisely.