Frozen section procedure

The Frozen section procedure (pronunciation: /ˈfrəʊzən ˈsɛkʃən prəˈsiːdʒər/) is a surgical pathology technique used in diagnostic pathology to perform rapid microscopic analysis of a specimen. It is used most often in the context of cancer surgery.

Etymology

The term "frozen section" comes from the process of rapidly freezing the specimen to make thin sections that can be examined under a microscope.

Procedure

During the surgery, a small portion of the tumor or lesion is removed and frozen rapidly in a cryostat, a specialized freezing unit. The frozen tissue is then cut into very thin sections using a microtome, and these sections are stained and examined under a microscope by a pathologist. The pathologist then provides a rapid diagnosis, often within 20-30 minutes, which can guide the surgeon's decisions during the surgery.

Related terms

Cryostat: A device used to maintain low cryogenic temperatures of samples or devices mounted within it.
Microtome: An instrument used to cut extremely thin slices of material, known as sections.
Pathologist: A physician who studies the causes and nature of diseases.
Surgical pathology: The study of tissues removed from living patients during surgery to help diagnose a disease and determine a treatment plan.
Diagnostic pathology: The branch of pathology that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, and tissue homogenates or extracts using the tools of chemistry, microbiology, hematology and molecular pathology.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Frozen section procedure
Wikipedia's article - Frozen section procedure

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Frozen section procedure