[Extemporaneous anatomo-pathological test in surgery of thyroid cancers. Values and limitations]

Abstract

We report our experience in surgical treatment of thyroid cancer; 2470 total or partial thyroidectomies were performed for a thyroid nodule, 205 were primitive thyroid carcinoma (8.3%). Intraoperative frozen sections diagnoses were performed in 100% of the patients. In this study, a 100% specificity and 74% sensitivity were found. Data for each histological type were compared with the previous studies. Each false negative macroscopic aspect carcinoma's size, differenciation, plurificality were studied in order to understand the limits of frozen sections diagnoses. The higher rate of false negative was found with small, well differenciated vesicular carcinoma. This study shows that high accuracy of frozen sections diagnoses allows to improve the intraoperative management of thyroid cancer. The high specificity of frozen sections diagnoses strengthens our reliance upon this examination.