A fractal analysis of the spatial distribution of tumoral mast cells in lymph nodes and bone marrow

The spatial distribution of mast cells inside the tumor stroma has been little investigated. In this study, we have evaluated tumor mast cells distribution through the analysis of the morphological features of the spatial patterns generated by these cells, including size, shape, and architecture of the cell pattern. We have compared diffuse large B cells lymphoma (DLBCL) and systemic mastocytosis in two different anatomical localizations (lymph nodes for DLBCL and, respectively, bone marrow for mastocytosis). Results have indicated that, despite the high difference in size exhibited by the mast cells patterns in the two conditions, the spatial relationship between the mast cells forming the aggregates resulted similar, characterized by a significant tendency of the mast cells to self-organize in clusters.