The Sensitivity and Specificity of Frozen-Section Histopathology in the Management of Benign Oral and Maxillofacial Lesions

Abstract

The management of odontogenic cysts and tumors involve treatment based on known biological behavior of the lesion and the recurrence rate. This typically requires an office biopsy which may present significant challenges when dealing with deep-seated lesions, pediatric patients, the medically compromised, or severely anxious patients, prompting an additional visit to the operating room for biopsy. These patients are thus exposed to morbidities including associated delay in definitive treatment, anesthesia, added cost, time away from work or school, and post-operative discomfort. A possible solution to the above scenario is the use of frozen sections. This would allow intra-operative diagnosis followed by definitive treatment under the same general anesthetic in many cases. The aim of this study is to determine the validity of frozen-section diagnosis in the management of benign oral and maxillofacial lesions.