Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Nuclear pleomorphism (nuclear membrane irregularity) was investigated using transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs of 1,419 nuclei (32 oral carcinomas and normal cells front surgical mar gins). STUDY DESIGN: Nuclear profiles (1,400 x) were digitized (1 pixel = 35 nm) and fractal dimension estimated using the 'yardstick' method. RESULTS: Log-log plots of yardstick length vs. perimeter showed a significant effect on length measurement typical of fractals at low resolutions (large yardsticks), but this effect disappeared at higher resolution (small yardsticks); that is compatible with Rigaut's asymptotic fractal model. Analysis of the asymptotic fractal parameters c, L and B(m) showed that c was higher in normal nuclei, but log(L) and B(m) were higher in malignant nuclei. A linear discriminant analysis using c, log(L) and B(m) reclassified correctly 78.8% of the nuclei (normal 88.0%, tumor 70.2%). CONCLUSION: Asymptotic fractal analysis of nuclear profiles appears to show great potential for quantitative discrimination of oral cancer cell features.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 167-176 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Analytical and Quantitative Cytology and Histology |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 1996 |
Keywords
- cell nucleus
- fractals
- mouth neoplasms
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anatomy
- Histology