[How to measure the structures, or new stereology. II. Methods of stereological estimation of the absolute dimensions of cell structures in light microscopy]

Abstract

This review describes modern stereological estimators used for the counting of histological structures and their parameters determination at the light microscopic level. All of these estimators, as a rule, require the preliminary application of a disector for the sampling of images. Nucleator and rotator not only allow unbiased determination of structures absolute dimensions, but also help to save the time used for these operations. In the last years, these stereological estimators are being increasingly used in clinical practice and in electron microscopical analysis.