[Flow cytometric analysis of the DNA content in resected thymomas]

Nuclear DNA contents were determined by flow cytometry in 31 resected thymomas. Ten (32%) of the 31 thymomas showed DNA aneuploid, and the presence of aneuploidy was well correlated with advanced clinical stage. Patients with an aneuploid tumor had a poor prognosis than those with a diploid tumor, demonstrating a survival rate of 50% at 7 years in aneuploidy compared to 100% at the same period in diploid patients (p < 0.05). In addition, patients with a high DNA index (DI > or = 1.5) tended to have a poor prognosis than those with a low DI. The analysis of DNA content can be an important prognostic index in patients with a thymoma.