Affiliations: Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Italy | Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Messina, Italy | Institute of Pathology, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain | Institute of Ophthalmology, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
Note: [] Correspondence to: Prof. Giovanni Tuccari, MD, Department of Human Pathology, Policlinico Universitario, Pad. D, 98100 Messina, Italy. Tel.: +39 090 2212539; Fax: +39 090 2938324; E‐mail: tuccari@imeuniv.unime.it.
Abstract: In order to assess the prognostic significance of silver‐stained nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) proteins, a standardised analysis has been performed on 34 ocular globes with choroidal melanomas. On formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded sections, the visualisation and quantification of AgNORs were achieved according to the guidelines of the Committee on AgNOR Quantification (1995); statistical analysis was performed on the mean AgNOR area values (NORA). We have encountered significantly higher NORA values in non‐spindle shaped elements, in tumours of larger dimensions as well as in those with worse clinical course; no correlations were achieved when the AgNOR quantity was compared with age, sex and amount of pigment. The comparison of Kaplan–Meier survival curves revealed that patients affected by melanomas with higher NORA values (>3.327 μm^{2}), non‐spindle cell histotype and increased size of tumour had a worse prognosis; finally, by Cox multivariate analysis, the AgNOR quantity appeared the only independent prognostic variable to predict the final outcome of patients.
