Feulgen-stained histologic sections of prostate needle biopsy specimens: Reliability of DNA static image cytometry

Comparative flow and static image cytometric DNA analysis was performed on 25 benign prostate glands and 30 samples of prostate adenocarcinoma. Static image cytometry was carried out on Feulgen stained, 6 μm thick sections of paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. In all cases, perfect correlation was found between the two methods. Furthermore, the static technique was used to study 30 needle biopsy specimens: 10 from benign prostates and 20 from prostate cancer specimens previously analysed by both flow and static image cytometry. The classification of the DNA histograms of all 20 malignant samples were identical to those previously obtained. The 10 normal prostate histograms were classified as DNA diploid. These data suggest that static image cytometry of Feulgen stained sections is a suitable and accurate method for the determination of DNA ploidy pattern from small needle biopsy specimens of prostate cancer.