The interrelationship between tubular and papillary sectors of tubulo-villous colorectal adenomas: comparative morphometric analysis and evaluation of cell proliferation

Analysis of images for detection of oral epithelial dysplasia: A review

This paper provides a review of various image analysis approaches that have been previously used for recognition of dysplasia in images of the epithelium of the oral cavity. This domain has become especially admissible with the uncovering of the importance of image analysis which can probably be an aid to subjective diagnosis by histopathologists. Oral malignancy is a rampant form of cancer found among people of the Indian subcontinent due to various deleterious habits like consumption of tobacco, areca nut, betel leaf etc. Oral Submucous Fibrosis, a precancer, whose pathological category falls between normal epithelium and epithelial dysplasia, is caused because of these habits and can ultimately lead to oral cancer. Hence early detection of this condition is necessary. Image analysis methods for this purpose have an enormous potential which can also reduce the heavy workload of pathologists and to refine the criterion of interpretation. This paper starts with a critique of statistics of oral carcinoma in India and distribution of cancer in intra-oral sites and moves on to its causes and diagnostic approaches including causative agents, problems in curative approach and importance of image analysis in cancer detection. The various image analysis methods to appraise the cytological and architectural changes accompanied by Oral Epithelial Dysplasia in the images of the oral epithelial region have been described in relation to 2005 WHO Classification System and it was found that in future, analysis of images based on the mentioned methods has the potential in better interpretation and diagnosis of oral carcinoma.

Disordered arrangements of basal cells as a prognostic factor for oral epithelial dysplasia: a morphometric study of 96 cases

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess objectively the predictive value of the atypical appearance of the basal layer of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) for development into invasive carcinoma.

STUDY DESIGN

Ninety-six OED cases were examined. These cases were divided into 2 groups: 38 cases that developed into invasive carcinoma and 58 cases that did not. Furthermore, 12 histopathological factors were quantified morphometrically in each case and assessed by Cox's proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

The standard deviation of the length between the apical membrane of the basal cells and the basement membrane was significantly associated with development of OED into invasive carcinoma (P < .001; hazard ratio, 3.124).

CONCLUSION

We provided novel, objective data demonstrating that an atypical appearance, especially the disordered arrangement of the basal cells representing loss of polarity, may be useful for predicting the development of OED into invasive carcinoma of the tongue.

Flat elevated lesions of the colon and rectum: a spectrum of neoplastic and nonneoplastic entities

The aim of this prospective study is to establish the frequency and the type (neoplastic and nonneoplastic) lesions defined endoscopically as flat elevated lesion (FEL) in the colon and rectum, as well as to compare flat adenomas (FAs) to polypoid lesions of the same size with morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis. One hundred nineteen patients were studied through fibrocolonoscopy with chromoscopy (indigo carmine spray). All detected lesions (total of 195) were removed, and FELs measuring 10 mm or smaller were also selected. Using histopathologic criteria, they were divided in neoplastic (adenomas and carcinomas) and nonneoplastic ones. In neoplastic lesions, the following parameters were evaluated to compare FAs with polypoid lesions: morphometric studies with Index of Structural Atypia (ISA) and Stratification Index (SI), evaluation of cellular proliferation with label index of Ki-67, and expression of p53 protein. Of 195 lesions resected, only 33 (17%) met the endoscopic requirements for FELs. Twelve (36.4%) were neoplastic and 21 (63.6%) considered nonneoplastic. Among the FAs, there were a percentage of high-grade (severe dysplasia) significantly more frequent than observed in polypoid lesions (16.7% vs 2.6%). In addition, the SI, Ki-67 label index and p53 positivity were significantly higher in FAs. The ISA also reached significant differences between both groups of adenomas. Non-neoplastic FELs included different entities such as hyperplasic polyps, focuses of colitis, normal mucosa, and scars. The endoscopic elements analyzed were shared between nonneoplastic FELs and FAs. A central depression, when air was properly insufflated, considered typical in neoplastic lesions, was frequently observed in nonneoplastic lesions. Following the endoscopic criteria of FELs, nonneoplastic lesions predominated over the adenomatous lesions, demonstrating that FELs and FAs are not homologous terms. The frequency of high-grade dysplasia was significantly more elevated in the adenomatous FELs than in polypoid adenomas. The ISA, SI, p53 expression, and Ki-67 label index were helpful in differentiating adenomatous FELs from polypoid lesions. Flat elevated lesions selected by endoscopic criteria are, in fact, a heterogeneous population of lesions.

Usefulness of proliferative activity, DNA ploidy pattern and p53 products as diagnostic adjuncts in colorectal adenomas and intramucosal carcinomas

Although numerous studies have assessed the biologic parameters of tumors, measurement of these parameters has had, to date, little impact on histologic diagnosis. Furthermore, analysis of a single parameter is insufficient to evaluate tumor malignant potential. In the present study, cell proliferation, DNA ploidy and p53 product were analyzed to objectify the tumor malignant potential in colorectal adenomas and intramucosal carcinomas. Sixty-one adenomas and 49 intramucosal carcinomas were studied using immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67 and p53, silver-staining nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) stain and DNA ploidy in fresh samples. Intramucosal carcinoma exhibited a greater Ki-67-positive rate and AgNOR count than the adenomas, although these parameters varied widely among samples. The incidence of aneuploidy and p53 over-expression in colorectal intramucosal carcinomas was significantly higher than in colorectal adenomas. These results indicate that DNA aneuploidy and p53 accumulation are the most reliable parameters for distinguishing benign and malignant lesions.