Measurement of nuclear DNA content in thyroid diagnosis

Abstract

Abstract The nuclear DNA content in thyroid cell imprints was determined in 94 patients with different thyroid diseases by single‐cell cytophotometry. Sixty‐three of the patients had benign thyroid lesions and 31 had different thyroid malignancies. The WHO tumor classification was used. The DNA values are presented in frequency histograms according to the ploidy and degree of proliferation. The histograms were classified into 6 groups: I, II, II +, III, IV, and IV +. The patients have been followed up for up to 6 years. With the exception of 1 case of thyrotoxicosis, the DNA values in benign thyroid lesions fell into group I–II or II +. Apart from 4 patients with small nodules of medullary carcinoma, the values in all patients with differentiated or anaplastic carcinomas were classified as group III, IV, or IV+. Determination of the DNA content may be a valuable adjunct in the differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid lesions. The presence of aneuploid cells seems to indicate a malignancy and in our material there was a clear difference in DNA content between follicular adenomas and follicular carcinomas.