Abstract

NAVAS IGARZA, Jacinto et al. Frozen section biopsy in surgical disorders of the thyroid gland. Rev Cub Med Mil [online]. 2012, vol.41, n.3, pp. 229-236. ISSN 0138-6557.

Introduction: thyroid nodules continue to pose a challenge to surgeons. The risk of not detecting a malignant neoplasia persists, even when an intraoperative frozen section biopsy is performed. Several authors are of the opinion that this test yields a large number of inconclusive results. Thyroid echography and fine-needle cytology, in combination with an appropriate clinical evaluation, have become the main pillars of a more rational management of thyroid nodules. Objective: compare the results of intraoperative frozen section biopsy with echography-guided fine-needle cytology with paraffin biopsy (PB). Methods: across-sectional study was conducted of 331 patients operated on for thyroid gland disorders. True positive, false positive, true negative, false negative and suspicious or doubtful results, were all taken into account in the analysis. The Galen and Gambino test was applied to these results to obtain the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and efficiency of both procedures. Results: 58 % of the series corresponded to benign disorders and 42 % to malignant disorders. Echography-guided fine-needle cytology showed specificity (99.1 %), sensitivity (99.2 %), negative predictive value (99.2 %), efficiency (97.1 %), and full sensitivity (99.2 %). Conclusions: echography-guided fine-needle cytology is a reliable procedure to establish the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

Keywords : intraoperative frozen section biopsy; echography-guided fine-needle cytology; paraffin biopsy.

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