title: Role of frozen section examination in the management of testicular nodules: a useful procedure to identify benign lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the validity of frozen section examination (FSE) on testis nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 86 preselected patients with testicular nodules were recruited in this study. Nodules smaller than 2 cm had been surgically removed and biopsies of the margins performed. Larger nodules were just biopsied. Orchiectomy was the treatment of choice for malignant lesions and stromal tumors. Conservative surgery was performed on 2 previously monorchid patients with Leydig cell tumor because of the presence of just one testis. Conservative surgery was the treatment of choice for benign lesions in 32 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At FSE we observed that nodules were malignant germinal tumors in 47% of the cases, stromal tumors in 7% of the cases, benign lesions in 45% of the cases and doubtful for lymphoproliferative lesion in 1 case. The diagnosis made by FSE were confirmed in the definitive ones in all of them, we reported just 2 cases of Leydig cell tumor and benign fibrosis lesion. In these 2 cases, definitive histology of the collected specimens revealed areas of Leydig cell hyperplasia and seminomatous foci, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that FSE is a valid tool to discriminate between benign and malignant neoplastic lesions, particularly when an adequate sample is available.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Urology, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. gioboz@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bozzini
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rubino
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Urology, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maruccia
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Urology, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marenghi
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Urology, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casellato
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Urology, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Picozzi
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Urology, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carmignani
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005350:Fibroma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006099:Granuloma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007984:Leydig Cell Tumor / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009919:Orchiectomy; D059351:Organ Sparing Treatments; D012707:Sertoli Cell Tumor / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult