Ultramorphometry of the Nucleus of Human Rectal Cancer Compared with Normal Mucosal Gland

Abstract

Five cases of surgically removed human rectal cancer were investigated by morphometrical methods using electron micrographs, especially on the nucleus. The results of comparison between cancer cells and normal glandular cells were summarized as follows: 1) The nuclear cytoplasmic ratio and the mean volume of the nucleus in five cancer cases were larger than those of the control rectal mucosa at 5% level of significance. 2) The values of the surface to volume ratio of the nucleus in rectal cancer concentrated at 1.0. 3) In cancer the nuclear volume was remarkably large but the cytoplasmic volume was not larger than that in the control mucosa. 4) On comparison among 3 parts of the control rectal crypt, i.e., the surface, intermediate part and base, the crypt base had the highest nuclear cytoplasmic ratio, and the intermediate part had the largest mean volume of the nucleus.