Correlation of microvessel parameters in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast and fibroadenomas: a morphometric study

Modifications of microvascular configuration are essential features encountered during the progression of breast tumors. Our objectives were to correlate morphometrically evaluated microvessel parameters (microvessel density [MVD], microvessel caliber [VC], microvessel cross-sectional area [VCSA], percentage of total VCSA [%TVCSA], and total microvessel boundary density [TVBD]) with histologic grades of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast and benign breast lesions. Sixty cases of IDC presented with modified radical mastectomy, and 20 benign breast fibroadenomas were evaluated for various microvessel parameters, using CD34-immunostained histologic sections by computerized image morphometry. Samples were divided into 4 histologic groups: benign, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3; mean with SD and range was evaluated for each group. Histologic grades showed a strong positive correlation with %TVCSA (ρ = 0.773) and TVBD (ρ = 0.811) and a moderate positive correlation with MVD (ρ = 0.607), VC (ρ = 0.609), and VCSA (ρ = 0.616) when analyzed for all samples of the 4 groups. Except MVD, all parameters including age was the lowest (P < .001) for the benign group. Among the IDCs, differences of mean VC and VCSA were not significant; MVD, %TVCSA, and TVBD were the lowest in grade 1 and the highest in grade 3. Upper cutoff value of benign lesions for MVD was 155 mm−2; VC, 9.94 μm; VCSA, 94.42 μm2; %TVCSA, 1.33; and TVBD, 4.37 mm−1. Total microvessel boundary density included the information of microvessel concentration and size showed the best correlation with grades. Microvessel density showed a positive correlation with grades in the IDCs, but for the differentiation of benign from malignant, VC, VCSA, %TVCSA, and TVBD showed excellent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (area under the curve > 0.990), unlike MVD (area under the curve = 0.797).