Cytohistologic Correlation of Nuclear Grade in Breast Carcinoma

• Published in: Acta cytologica Vol. 41; no. 3; pp. 701 - 704
• Main Authors: Zoppi, Jorge A., Pellicer, Mónica, Sundblad, Alberto S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Science Printers and Publishers 01-05-1997
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Biopsy, Needle; Breast Neoplasms - diagnosis; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - pathology; Carcinoma, Lobular - pathology; Carcinoma, Papillary - pathology; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Original Articles; Tropical medicine; Tumors; breast neoplasms; aspiration biopsy; nuclear grade; Histological grading; Human; Carcinoma; Cell nucleus; Malignant tumor; Aspiration punction; Mammary gland diseases; Pathology; Fine needle; Biopsy; Cytopathology; Mammary gland; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0001-5547; 1938-2650
• DOI: 10.1159/000332688

To compare the nuclear grade (NG) in cytologic material (CNG) obtained from breast fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) with the NG observed in surgical biopsies (BNG) of the same tumors.
The study group consisted of 135 breast carcinomas with both FNAB and biopsy. Most of them were invasive ductal carcinomas. Cytologic aspirates and tissue sections were graded simultaneously by the three authors using a multiheaded microscope. Fisher's modification of Black's nuclear grading scheme was used.
There was agreement between CNG and BNG in 70.37% of tumors. The percentage coincidence was slightly greater for NG 3.
Nuclear grade can be easily established on FNAB. The lack of correlation (29.63%) may have been due to tumor heterogeneity and observer subjectivity when assigning nuclear grade.