Flow cytometric DNA analysis of gastric smooth muscle tumors.

Abstract

To better understand the malignant grade of gastric smooth muscle tumors, the DNA content of these tumors was studied. In 43 patients with gastric smooth muscle tumors, the cellular DNA content was determined by flow cytometry and compared with the histologic classification and the prognosis. Flow cytometry indicated that all 21 leiomyomas and 9 of the 10 low-grade leiomyosarcomas were diploid; 10 of the 12 high-grade leiomyosarcomas were aneuploid. All patients with leiomyomas and 8 of the 11 patients with diploid leiomyosarcomas had neither local recurrence nor metastasis. By contrast, 8 of the 10 patients with aneuploid leiomyosarcomas died of their disease (mean survival, 41 months; range, 18-78 months). These results indicate that the DNA ploidy pattern shown by flow cytometry is related closely to the histologic classification and prognosis of gastric smooth muscle tumors.