NUCLEAR SIZE CLASSES IN FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATES FROM TOXIC GOITRES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nuclear size classes of the type originally described by Jacobj were studied in biopsy smears prepared from fine needle aspirates of toxic goitres and a small series of non-toxic goitres and normal thyroids. In every specimen a minor number of nuclei were found to form one or occasionally two size classes clearly different from the bulk of the nuclei, which were of fairly uniform size. The existence of separate nuclear size classes was confirmed by plotting the nuclear diameter distribution curves based on measurements of 150–200 nuclei from each specimen. The nuclei in the main size class proved, on the average, larger in toxic goitres than in non-toxic goitres or normal thyroids. Large nuclei in size classes distinct from the bulk of the nuclei corresponded closely to nuclei in separate classes with a distinctly higher DNA-content as judged from a comparative cytophotometric and karyometric investigation and they were therefore called HDC-nuclei (High DNA-content Class nuclei). Such nuclei proved more common in toxic goitres than in non-toxic goitres and normal thyroids. Among the toxic goitres they were especially common in the presence of LATS-activity, lymphoid infiltration in the goitre, or relapse of hyperthyroidism. In those toxic goitres, which were rich in HDC-nuclei, hyperthyroidism was found to have a particularly marked tendency to recur after treatment with thiocarbamide drugs.