Sex chromatin in female breast tumour.

The incidence of sex chromatin in tumour cell nuclei was estimated in twenty five cases each of carcinoma and fibroadenoma breast using haematoxylin and eosin, thionine, aceto-orcein and Papanicolaou's stains on imprint-smears. The sex chromatin incidence in fibroadenoma was found similar to that of normal breast tissue but the incidence markedly decreased in carcinoma breast. Undifferentiated tumours with histologic grade III, nuclear grade I, no lymphocytic infiltrate and involvement of overlying skin, nipple and areola were more often associated with low sex chromatin incidence. No relationship was observed between sex chromatin incidence and tumour size or axillary lymph node metastasis.