Assessing the need for frozen sections: still a valuable tool in thyroid surgery.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Since the development of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) there has been a trend away from frozen sections (FS) in the assessment of thyroid neoplasms. The objective of this study was to determine the role of FS in the surgical management of thyroid nodules in the presence of an adequate FNA biopsy finding. METHODS: Charts of patients who presented within a 3-year period for thyroid surgery were reviewed. Inclusion criteria consisted of both an adequate FNA and FS. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. Three lesions were benign, 71 were suspicious, and 11 were malignant with FNA. There were 66 deferred and 19 malignant diagnoses with FS. The overall accuracy for FNA and FS was 40% and 86%, respectively. When the FNA report was positive for malignancy, it was correct in 91% (10 of 11) of the cases. When the FNA report was suspicious, only 30% (21 of 71) had a malignant lesions. FS confirmed malignancy in 19 patients and deferred more extensive surgery in 66 patients with suspicious lesions. However, 18% of the deferred FS were found to be malignant on final pathology report. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that there is a role for FS in the surgical management of thyroid nodules. Frozen sections can be useful when the FNA report is suspicious for malignancy; however, FS may be eliminated when the FNA report is positive for malignancy.