Ten Thousand Consecutive Frozen Sections: A Retrospective Study Focusing on Accuracy and Quality Control

A review of 10,000 consecutive frozen section consultations performed over a 6½-year period was undertaken in order to assess the accuracy of the method and to develop a quality-control mechanism. Frozen section interpretations of specimens of lung, tumors of skin, thyroid, parathyroid, and tissues from the female genital tract were in error in about 1.5% of the cases. Specimens from the gastrointestinal system, otorhinolaryngologic regions, lymph nodes, central nervous system, and pancreas were incorrectly interpreted in fewer than 3% of instances. A system of periodic review of cases is suggested.