In view of the great variation in the size of epithelial cell nuclei in benign changes in the mammary gland, the cytologist is often faced with diagnostic difficulties. Clear differences in the size of the nuclei in aspiration biopsies from the mammary glands of pregnant @entity1 and those from the mammary glands of post-menopausal @entity1 seem to indicate that even in normal, unchanged mammary gland epithelia, the cell nuclei size varies in accordance with the hormonal situation and any functional changes that might have occurred. To test these findings, the nuclear area of the mammary gland epithelia was compared in four groups consisting of 20 post-menopausal @entity1 , 20 sexually mature @entity1 , 20 gravid @entity1 and 20 @entity1 taking ovulation inhibitors. In addition, we measured the nuclear area of @entity5 cell nuclei from solidly growing mammary @entity189 and their hybrid forms. The 40 @entity1 with mammary @entity189 included 20 sexually mature @entity1 and 20 post-menopausal @entity1 . A comparison of the size of the nuclei of normal epithelial cells revealed distinct differences in each group. The only exceptions were the sexually mature @entity1 and the @entity1 taking ovulation inhibitors, between whom there was no significant difference. The average nuclear area in post-menopausal @entity1 was 48 micron 2, in sexually mature @entity1 75 micron 2, in pregnant @entity1 118 micron 2, and in @entity1 taking ovulation inhibitors 79 micron 2. The difference between the size of the nuclei in the @entity5 cells and those in normal mammary gland epithelia was significant in all groups. The average size of the @entity5 cell nuclei in sexually mature @entity1 was 185 micron 2, and in post-menopausal @entity1 170 micron 2. A major difference between the two @entity5 groups was the noticeably larger range in the size of the nuclear area in the sexually mature @entity1 .

Determining the nuclear area in normal breast epithelia and in the nuclei of mammary XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'patients'] @entity189 :: ('MESH:D002277', 'Disease') :: ['carcinomas'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumour']
@entity189 :: (MESH:D002277,Disease) :: ['carcinomas']
