Abstract
To assess the value of intraoperative frozen-section diagnosis in thyroid surgery and determine its limitations.This retrospective study examined the results of 1534 frozen sections of thyroid specimens analyzed over the 11-year period from 1995 through 2005 and their correlations with the final histological examination. Deferred responses were not taken into account for statistical calculations.In our series, frozen-section diagnosis was concordant with subsequent histopathological examination in 92% of cases, discordant in 3%, and deferred in 5%. The global specificity of frozen section analysis for all histological subtypes was 99.8% and its sensitivity 67%. Its sensitivity for thyroid cancer was lower in follicular (42%) and papillary carcinoma (64%) than medullary (100%), anaplastic (100%), secondary (100%), mixed (100%), and insular carcinomas (86%).In our series, as in the literature, most of the discordances between frozen-section and definitive diagnosis were associated with microfollicular lesions, which explain the low sensitivity of 67%. Our results demonstrate the reliability of intraoperative frozen-section analysis in thyroid surgery. Collaboration between pathologists, radiologists, and clinicians should be emphasized.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
