Histomorphometry of normal and abnormal endometrial samples

One hundred forty samples of normal and pathological endometrium were examined morphometrically in order to achieve a discriminant function among normal and pathological diagnoses. Samples of proliferative and secretory normal endometrium, simple and atypical hyperplasia, and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma were included in this study. Morphometrical and stereological characteristics for both glands and lumina as well as epithelium were registered. Stepwise discriminant analysis was performed. There is an increase in size of glands from proliferative endometrium to well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. The stereological measurements parallel morphometrical measurements. The accuracy of diagnosis by morphometrical and stereological means were 91% when the normal group (proliferative and secretory phase) were included. Accuracy increases to 95% when only three pathological groups were used; only one simple hyperplasia and one well-differentiated adenocarcinoma were incorrectly diagnosed. In all functions, the volume density of epithelium was selected. The reproducibility on a new data set demonstrates an efficiency of 92, 87, and 100% for three discriminant analyses (five, four, and three diagnostic groups, respectively).