Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE:To determine interobserver and intraobserver variability of AgNOR quantitation in neoplastic lesions of the breast. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:Forty-five cases, 20 benign and 25 malignant lesions, were included in the study. Counts were performed on one slide from each case within a pre-marked area of about 1 cm2 in a standardized manner by two observers blind to the histopathologic diagnosis and independent of each other and repeated after two weeks. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was assessed using the Bland-Altman method. RESULTS:Our results showed small mean interobserver and intraobserver differences but wide limits of agreement. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Observer variation in AgNOR counts is too high for the method to be of any diagnostic or prognostic relevance.