title: Is thyroid frozen section too much for too little?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of frozen section (FS) in thyroid disease is controversial. The goal of this study was to identify a cohort of patients who may or may not benefit from FS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred thirty-one patients who underwent thyroidectomy were evaluated in regard to fine-needle aspiration (FNA), FS, and the extent of surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 155 patients underwent FNA, 140 patients underwent FS, and 103 patients had both. A final diagnosis of malignancy was obtained in 47 of 231 patients. FNA had a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 99%, and FS had a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 100% for diagnosing malignancy. Accounting for the clinical findings and FNA results, FS results altered the extent of thyroidectomy in 1 of 103 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased costs for the operative time and the pathologists needed to obtain routine FS are not supported with any substantial benefit in patient outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio 78229-3900, USA. richardsm@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: Melanie L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chisholm
authors.forename: Jan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bruder
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Strodel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy