Mucosubstances in classification of serous and mucinous ovarian tumors: A morphometrical study

• Published in: European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 139 - 144
• Main Author: Aalto, Marja-Leena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.07.1986; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alcian Blue; Alcian blue (AB) stain; Biological and medical sciences; Cystadenoma - classification; Cystadenoma - pathology; Female; Female genital diseases; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Medical sciences; Mucins - analysis; Orosomucoid - analysis; Ovarian Neoplasms - classification; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction - methods; saliva-periodic acid-Schiff (SPAS) stain; tumor classification; Tumors; saliva-periodic acid-Schiff (SPAS) stain; tumor classification; Alcian blue (AB) stain; Human; Pathology; Ovary; Serous cystadenoma; Classification; Tumor; Morphometry; Mucinous cystadenoma; Female genital diseases
• ISSN: 0301-2115; 1872-7654
• DOI: 10.1016/0028-2243(86)90058-4

108 serous and 106 mucinous ovarian cystadenomas of varying malignancy were studied with the saliva-periodic acid-Schiff (SPAS) reaction and with the Alcian blue (AB) pH 2.7 method, which stain neutral and acid mucosubstances, respectively. Positively stained mucin was quantitated morphometrically and the measured parameters were tested by discriminant analysis. As expected, the mucinous tumors were more positive for mucin than the serous ones. Also the borderline tumors contained more mucin than their benign or malignant counterparts. The best discriminating capacity for mucin was obtained in serous tumors with the AB stain and in mucinous tumors with the SPAS reaction. The ratio of neutral to acid mucosubstances decreased in mucinous cystadenomas with increasing malignancy.