Use of the cryostat in gynecologic surgery

Abstract

WI T H the development of the cryostat, the frozen section technique has been refined for successful application in rapid, operating room diagnosisl-5 Formerly, this technique was unsatisfactory in gynecologic surgery, because ( 1) the multiple, small tissue fragments (e.g., endometrial curettings) taken for pathologic examination could not be held together during section, (2) the thickness of the sections provided poor microscopic detail, and (3) only small tissue sections, inadequately representative of the total specimen, could be cut with the old apparatus. Our experience indicates that the cryostat now produces slides equal in quality (staining properties, thinness of sections, and cellular detail) to those prepared by the slower paraffin block method. Thus, this improved technique combines the time advantage of the older frozen section method with the technical excellence of slides produced by the paraffin block method. The cryostat, which makes possible immediate pathologic examination and diagnosis of surgical specimens, has multiple applications in gynecologic surgery. This paper concerns its use in the preparation and evaluation of cone specimens removed from the cervix during surgery. The whole procedure is rapid and definitive. After the surgeon performs a cold knife