[Value of intraoperative frozen-section analysis in thyroid surgery].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the value of intraoperative frozen-section diagnosis in thyroid surgery and determine its limitations.


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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%).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Mekni
Amina
A
Service d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologiques, Hôpital La Rabta, 1007 Bab Saâdoun, Tunis-Tunisie.
Limaiem
Faten
F
Cherif
Khedija
K
Chelly
Ines
I
Sahtout
Samia
S
Bellil
Khedija
K
Bellil
Salma
S
Kchir
Nidhameddine
N
Zitouna
Moncef
M
Haouet
Slim
S
D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy