BACKGROUND/AIMS: Skin strippings harvest the malignant melanoma cells eliminated through the stratum corneum. In this study, morphometry was applied to such non-invasive samplings in order to derive objective information about nuclear atypia. METHOD: Cyanoacrylate skin surface strippings were collected from 140 malignant melanomas. Karyometry was performed to quantify the size and shape of malignant cell nuclei. RESULTS: Anisokaryosis was prominent although the outline of nuclei were rather smooth. CONCLUSION: Image analysis of skin strippings harvested from malignant melanomas shows that anisokaryosis is the major cytologic feature of malignant melanoma cells in transit in the stratum corneum.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Skin strippings harvest the malignant melanoma cells eliminated through the stratum corneum. In this study, morphometry was applied to such non-invasive samplings in order to derive objective information about nuclear atypia. METHOD:Cyanoacrylate skin surface strippings were collected from 140 malignant melanomas. Karyometry was performed to quantify the size and shape of malignant cell nuclei. RESULTS: Anisokaryosis was prominent although the outline of nuclei were rather smooth. CONCLUSION: Image analysis of skin strippings harvested from malignant melanomas shows that anisokaryosis is the major cytologic feature of malignant melanoma cells in transit in the stratum corneum.
Authors: Gérald E Piérard; Claudine Piérard-Franchimont; Philippe Paquet; Trinh Hermanns-Lê; Jean Radermacher; Philippe Delvenne Journal: ScientificWorldJournal Date: 2014-08-06