Morphometric studies on melanocytic tumors.

The authors have studied the longest and the shortest nuclear axes, the ratio between nuclear axes, the nuclear areas and the mitotic indices in melanocytic tumors and have noted progressive changes of the values in superficial spreading and in nodular melanoma as compared to nevi. The most powerful discriminants were the mitotic index and the ratio between the nuclear axes. These findings are discussed in relationship with the tumor progression.

[Minute chromosomes in a case of chronic Ph1-positive myeloid leukemia]. / Minute Chromosomen bei einem Fall von Ph1-positiver chronisch myeloischer Leukämie.

Minute chromosomes (mins) were found in all bone marrow cells in a 62-year-old woman with Ph1 positive chronic myeloid leukemia. The cells had a range of 39 to 50 chromosomes with a mode of 46. The examined metaphases had a variety of numerical and structural chromosome abnormalities, as well as 2 to 6 minute chromosomes. Our case supports the assumption that there may be a correlation between the presence of mins in leukemias and the resistance of the cells to chemotherapy or the rapid progression of the disease.

[Chromosome changes on 20 lesions of cervix uteri ]. / Chromosomenveränderungen bei 20 Läsionen der Cervix uteri.

Cytogenetic studies on biopsies of cervix uteri (5 dysplasias, 2 carcinomas in situ and 13 invasive carcinomas) are reported in this paper in order to detect the numerical and structural chromosome changes. In dysplasias, the deviation number is mostly restricted around the diploid mode while in carcinomas the range of deviation is wider and more than one modal number could be identified. Structural aberrations of chromosome 1 were found in one case of dysplasia and in 10 cases of invasive carcinomas. A long acrocentric was observed in three carcinomas and one dysplasia, while a medium-sized metacentric in three carcinomas. Further markers : minute chromosomes (in two carcinomas) and double minute bodies (DMs, in one carcinoma). These studies and the early ones suggest that the changes of chromosome 1 may be a relative late appearance of malignant transformation. The possible role of DMs is also discussed.

Incidence and significance of micronuclei in pernicious anemia.

The incidence of micronuclei in bone marrow erythroblasts of patients with pernicious anemia ranged between 0.5-5.6% as compared with the value of 0-0.5% noted in hematologically healthy patients. The mechanism of formation and the possible significance of micronuclei in megaloblastic anemia are briefly discussed.

Diagnostic value of chromosome examination in effusions from cancer patients.

Fifty nine effusions (6 from patients with benign diseases and 53 from cancer patients) were examined cytologically and cytogenetically. Only diploid cells were observed in the benign effusions. The majority of malignant effusions had chromosomal changes, but in three cases where cytologic examination had revealed the presence of malignant cells, only diploid metaphases were found. No false positive diagnoses were made either by the cytologic or by the cytogenetic technique. The concomitant use of cytologic and cytogenetic examinations has substantially improved the correctness of the diagnosis. If by cytologic examination 43 of the 53 effusions from cancer patients were diagnosed as positive, 4 as suspicious and 6 as negative, the combined results of the cytologic and cytogenetic examination can be summarized in 49 positive, 1 suspicious and 3 negative cases. The implications of these data for the medical practice are briefly discussed.