Analytical and quantitative cytology. A historical perspective.

A brief history of the development of analytical and quantitative cytology is presented. In particular, the origins of planimetry and of cytochemical studies on DNA quantitation are discussed: these two endeavors defined many of the parameters that are now being studied by computerized analytical systems. Special attention is given to the development of the Cytoanalyzer, the first automatic scanning device for diagnostic purposes. The problems with cell collection and specimen preparation that beset that early cytoanalytic system remain unsolved with the current high-resolution cell image analysis systems. The developments in flow cytometry, which had origins similar to those of high-resolution studies, are also discussed.