Re: Mitotic Index

From: Robert L. Becker (rlb@cpt.afip.org)
Date: Mon Feb 08 1999 - 18:54:52 EST


On Sat, 6 Feb 1999, Robert Pyle wrote:

> 
> 
> Could someone out there give me a clean definition of "mitotic index (MI)?  This
> seems to be distincly different than "DNA Index (DI)".  A lot of authors have
> used this in papers but in the searches that I have made, they don't define it. 
> 

In the pathology community, MI is a measure of the number of mitotic
figures observed per unit of area (e.g. 10 microscopic fields). MI is
often criticized for poor standardization, but it persists because it's
easy to get a number that is useful if not over-interpreted. A good
reference, from one of my coworkers delving into the statistics and
reliability of MI, is: O'Leary TJ, Steffes MW. Can you count on the
mitotic index? Hum Pathol 1996; 27:147-151. 

Robert L. Becker, Jr.
Col, USAF, MC
Department of Cellular Pathology
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Washington, DC 20306-6000
202-782-1573



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