Myocardial fibrosis assessment by semiquantitative, point‐counting and computer‐based methods in patients with heart muscle disease: a comparative study

• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2559.2001.01101.x
• Publication Date: 2003-03-12T00:11:19Z
• Authors: J D Vasiljević; Z B Popović; P Otašević; Z V Popović; R Vidaković; M Mirić; A N Nešković
• Keywords: Myocardial fibrosis

No study has directly compared different histomorphometric methods of quantification myocardial fibrosis. Therefore we the results semiquantitative, point-counting and computer-based in assessement fibrosis a consecutive series endomyocardial biopsy samples from patients with heart muscle disease.Histological (at least three per patient) were obtained by 11 focal myocarditis 24 ambulatory idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, or during surgery 10 who underwent partial left ventriculectomy. Samples cut stained Masson-trichrome for better contrast. From each sample, representative field was digitized, amount assessed semiquantitative scoring, point-counting, software. Semiquantitative scoring correlated both (Spearman's r = 0.69, P < 0.0001) 0.83, methods. There also good correlation between (r 0.71, 0.0001). However, when method, method overestimated percent 3.0 +/- 6.7% (P 0.004). This overestimation mean 0.38, 0.014).Our data show correlations assessment. systematic differences them emphasize that this should be taken into consideration comparing studies using