The Accuracy of Frozen Section Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Gynecologic Tumors

Kim, Hyun Mi; Park, Un Ho; Lee, Ho; Lee, Ji Young; Park, Jee Hyun; Hwang, Sung Ook; Koh, Seung Kwon; Im, Moon Whan; Lee, Byong Ick; Lee, Woo Young

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Frozen section evaluation of gynecologic tumors can be used to establish a histopathologic diagnosis and guide the surgeon to perform the appropriate surgical procedure. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the accuracy of frozen section diagnosis of gynecologic tumors.
METHODS
We compared the result of 459 consecutive gynecologic frozen section diagnosis with their final diagnosis by paraffin sections from January 1996 to August 2001.
RESULTS
459 gynecologic tumors that underwent frozen section evaluation were studied. Frozen section was accurate in 94.9% of 390 ovarian tumors and inaccurate in 5.1%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for frozen section in ovarian tumors were 86.7%, 97.8%, 84.4%, 97.7%. There was three false-positive and twelve false-negative cases. And frozen section was accurate in 68 of 69 uterine tumors.
CONCLUSION
Frozen section diagnosis has important implications regarding the type and extent of surgery performed at the initial operation and this method can obtain the highest accuracy when there is cooperation between experienced surgeons and reliable, careful pathologists. Most incompatible frozen section diagnosis occurred especially in mucinous ovarian tumor. Performing multiple section is recommended in the frozen section diagnosis of mucinous ovarian tumors.