title: The role of intraoperative frozen sections for thyroid nodules.
abstract: The role of intraoperative frozen sections (FS) during thyroidectomy is controversial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the role of FS for thyroid nodules management.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who had thyroid surgery for nodular disease and previous USG-guided FNAB in 2006 were prospectively analyzed. They underwent intraoperative FS evaluation, and the biopsy material was classified as benign, malignant or follicular neoplasm. FNAB, FS and paraffin sections were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Under the FS, 54% of the nodules were benign, 30% were follicular neoplasms, and 16% were malignant. All cases considered benign and malignant under the FS evaluation were confirmed through the histological 'paraffin' analysis. Since it is not considered a definitive indication for total thyroidectomy, if the follicular neoplasms were classified as 'benign' under the FS, their sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and global diagnostic accuracy were 69%, 100%, 100%, 91,5% e 77%, respectively. Among the 42 cases classified as 'follicular neoplasm' under the FNAB, in 1 case the FS conclusion was for papillary carcinoma, in 3 cases as benign (all confirmed through the 'paraffin'); and 38 cases continued as 'follicular pattern', being 29 follicular adenomas and 9 carcinomas through the 'paraffin'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FS is only indicated when the FNAB reports 'follicular neoplasm'.
authors: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Fundação Lusíada, Santos.
authors: João Paulo Alves de
authors: JP
authors: Almeida
authors: Sergio Dias do
authors: SD
authors: Couto Netto
authors: Rafael Pinto da
authors: RP
authors: Rocha
authors: Elio G
authors: EG
authors: Pfuetzenreiter
authors: Rogério Aparecido
authors: RA
authors: Dedivitis
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000592:standards*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy