Use of Quantitative Analysis as a Method for Differentiation between Canine Cutaneous Apocrine Adenomas and Apocrine Carcinomas on Cytological Smears

Abstract

Eight canine cutaneous adenomas and eight canine cutaneous carcinomas were analysed by computer-assisted nuclear morphometry in Hemacolor-stained cytological specimens. In each case, the nuclei of at least 100 neoplastic cells were measured, and the mean nuclear area (MNA), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP), mean nuclear diameter (MND) and nuclear roundness (NR) were calculated. The results indicated an increase in the mean values of investigated parameters from canine cutaneous apocrine adenomas (MNA, 75.65 ± 2.22; MNP, 31.05 ± 0.55; MND, 9.62 ± 0.14; NR, 1.10 ± 0.009) to canine cutaneous apocrine carcinomas (MNA, 88.78 ± 11.29; MNP, 34.38 ± 2.43; MND, 10.43 ± 0.76; NR, 1.21 ± 0.07). The statistical analysis revealed statistically significant differences between benign and malignant neoplastic cells (P < 0.01). The statistical differences between investigated parameters (P < 0.01) were also found between the metastasizing apocrine carcinomas and all other examined carcinomas. The results indicated that the computerized morphometry could be used as an effective auxiliary tool for differential diagnosis between canine cutaneous adenomas and carcinomas on cytological smears. www.blackwell-synergy.com

Nuclear morphometry in cytological specimens of canine ceruminous adenomas and carcinomas

“…Furthermore, our data demonstrated that metastasizing ceruminous adenocarcinomas (cases 3, 7 and 8) exhibited significantly greater ( P < 0.05) morphometric values, than those observed in all other examined carcinomas. These results are in agreement with the diagnostic value of nuclear cytomorphometry in distinguishing between canine apocrine adenomas from apocrine carcinomas, anal sac adenomas and carcinomas, benign from malignant epithelial mammary tumours in dogs and cats and recurrent from non‐recurrent canine basal cell carcinomas 11–14 . At the same time, the data from this study do not support the prognostic value of cytomorphometry in feline mammary gland carcinomas 15 …”

“…In addition to clinical, cytological and histological parameters, morphometric indices of cell nuclei are becoming an increasingly more important means of making objective decisions regarding patient diagnosis and prognosis. Several investigations in veterinary medicine have considered nuclear morphometric analysis as a useful additional predictor in various type of neoplasms, but there are no publications that investigate these parameters in canine ceruminous tumours 5–7,11–15 . In our study, we found out that the nuclear parameters MNA, MNP, D mean, D min and D max differed significantly among canine ceruminous adenomas and carcinomas.…”

Morphometric studies in veterinary cytology

“…In 3 studies of canine mammary tumors, authors found differences in MND and nuclear roundness, and irregularity in shape in malignant tumors as compared with benign tumors and/or normal mammary epithelial tissue . For the assessment of canine cutaneous ceruminous and apocrine gland tumors, as well as canine anal sac gland tumors, MNA, MNP, and MND could be useful for differentiating adenomas from adenocarcinomas . For canine soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) in a blinded study, no significant differences were found between nuclear morphometric parameters and histologic features used for grading of STSs (mitotic index, and tumor necrosis score) nor with the final histologic grade, and in another study comparing 24 dogs diagnosed with STSs and 24 dogs with reactive connective tissue lesions (granulation tissue and dermal fibrosis), mean values for all parameters measured (MNA, MNP, MND, minimum and maximum nuclear diameter) were higher in reactive processes than STSs, but no significant difference was found between STS subtypes …”