Avaliação de nevos cutâneos e melanomas por ferramenta de análise morfométrica nuclear digital

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the characteristics of cell nuclei of melanocytes using digital nuclear morphometric analysis. To evaluate the nuclear morphometric differences between nevi excised in winter or summer; demonstrating the presence of characteristics and irregularities in nuclear morphology caused by solar radiation on nevi. To consider whether there are morphological differences between common acquired nevi, dysplastic nevi and melanomas. To access the potential use of nuclear morphometry to detect cell senescence, apoptosis and other nuclear irregularities of nevi and melanomas in HE stained slides of paraffin embedded specimens. Methodology: Histopathological specimens were subjected to digital image analysis. Results: Through this pilot study, glass slides obtained from biopsies of 30 patients were analyzed; 10 nevi excised in winter, 5 nevi excised in summer, 9 dysplastic nevi and 6 melanomas. Between winter and summer nevi; secondary variables able to perform such a separation were 'variability Area' and % of nuclei with NII higher than 1SD. Conclusion: There are differences of nuclear morphometric characteristics of excised nevi in winter and summer and can be caused by cumulative effects of solar radiation on nevi. There are morphometric differences between common acquired nevi, dysplastic nevi and melanomas. The dysplastic nevi and melanomas were separated by the average area and percentage of nuclei with area above one standard deviation of the mean area.