[Morphometry of megakaryocytes for supporting the histologic diagnosis of chronic myeloproliferative diseases]

Morphometric analysis of sections of biopsy specimens from patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) can complement the individual histological diagnosis and help to distinguish the four groups of CMPD. A total of 130 diagnostic biopsies from 29 cases of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML.CT), 26 cases of (CML.MI), 28 of essential thrombocythemia (PTH), 26 cases of chronic megakaryocytic granulocytic myelosis (CMGM), and 21 of polycythemia vera (P. vera), and 30 from healthy control persons were evaluated morphometrically in sections of undecalcified plastic-embedded core biopsies. Clear distinctions were revealed in size of megakaryocytes, nuclear lobulation, clustering, and the nuclear size and shape of megakaryocytes. Nuclear size and cellular size were significantly less in CML (range of means of cellular size: 220-360 microns2) than in the other three Ph1-negative groups (range of means: 480-750 microns2). Nuclear lobulation was more distinct in PTH than in P. vera, and especially in CMGM. Clustering of megakaryocytes was more than twice as frequent in CMGM (8.0-10.5%) as in any of the other three groups (0.1-7.0%). Naked nuclei were more numerous in all groups of CMPD. The main topic of the study is the different size of megakaryocytes in the four main groups of CMPE, allowing a distinction between small-megakaryocytic Ph1-positive CML and large-megakaryocytic Ph1-negative forms of CMPD.