title: Intraoperative diagnostic strategy to distinguish parathyroid adenomas from metastatic thyroid cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the limitations of frozen section examination and the value of intraoperative tissue aspiration for parathyroid hormone assay to distinguish parathyroid adenomas from metastatic thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe 2 patients with a biochemical diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent intraoperative frozen section analysis of suspected parathyroid tumors. Parathyroid gland aspiration for parathyroid hormone was also performed for confirmation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intraoperative frozen section examination of the suspected parathyroid tumors inaccurately identified the tumors as follicular carcinomas. The parathyroid gland aspirate, however, accurately substantiated the presence of parathyroid adenomas, rather than follicular cancers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aspiration of a suspected parathyroid tumor for parathyroid hormone assay accurately determines whether a nodule is a parathyroid gland and facilitates intraoperative decision making, especially when frozen section diagnosis is misleading.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Marlon A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: Menno R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Vriens
authors.forename: Insoo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khanafshar
authors.forename: Orlo H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology