The microvascular network of the pituitary gland: a model for the application of fractal geometry to the analysis of angioarchitecture and angiogenesis of brain tumors.

摘要: In geometrical terms, tumor vascularity is an exemplary anatomical system that irregularly fills a three-dimensional Euclidean space. This physical characteristic, together with the highly variable vessel shapes and surfaces, leads to considerable spatial temporal heterogeneity in delivery of oxygen, nutrients drugs, removal metabolites. Although these biological features have now been well established, quantitative analyses neovascularity two-dimensional histological sections still fail view architecture non-Euclidean this errors visually interpreting same tumor, discordant results from different laboratories. A review literature concerning application microvessel density (MVD) estimates, Euclidean-based approach used quantify normal neoplastic pituitary tissues, revealed some disagreements led us discuss limitations quantification vascularity. Consequently, we introduced fractal geometry as better means quantifying microvasculature glands adenomas, found use surface dimension more appropriate than MVD for analysing vascular network both. We propose extending model analysis angiogenesis angioarchitecture brain tumors.