Frozen sections in gastrointestinal, pancreatobiliary and hepatic pathology: A review

Abstract

In the digestive system, intraoperative frozen sections are commonly requested to assess surgical margins, obtain diagnostic material, and evaluate incidental lesions. Frozen section results may alter surgical planning or lead to the discontinuation of the procedure. As a practicing pathologist, understanding the indication for frozen section and its impact on patient management would improve communication with surgeons. Likewise, understanding what to look for and focus on, what to relay to the requester and common diagnostic pitfalls would improve the quality of service one provides and patients’ outcome. Herein we provide an overview of common frozen sections encountered during variable abdominal procedures to include pancreaticoduodenectomy, gastrectomy, appendectomy, colorectal resection and Hirschsprung pull-through along with ample microscopic images.