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Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Transoral Robotic Total Thyroidectomy and Bilateral Central Regional Lymph Node Dissection for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: September 15, 2023
Intraoperative frozen section for the evaluation of extrathyroidal extension in papillary thyroid cancer
Young Min Park1, Soo-Geun Wang, Jin Young Goh
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Pundang Jesaeng Hospital, Deajin Medical Center, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Korea.
Background:
We investigated extrathyroidal extension (ETE) through frozen biopsy for intraoperative decision making in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).
Methods:
During the period of the study an operation was performed in 268 patients with PTC and ETE was evaluated using intraoperative frozen biopsies of thyroid tissue.
Results:
Extrathyroidal extension was confirmed in 54 patients (20 %) on frozen biopsy. Fifty-three patients among 54 patients showing ETE on frozen biopsy were confirmed on permanent pathologic analysis. Accordingly, frozen biopsy had a sensitivity of 66 %, a specificity of 99 %, a positive predictive value of 98 %, and a negative predictive value of 87 %. Tumor size (OR 4.373; CI 2.257-8.475, p = <0.001) was an independent factor for predicting ETE on frozen biopsy.
Conclusions:
Intraoperative frozen biopsy can be an useful tool in identifying the presence of ETE. It can also help the operator decide the extent of surgery and central neck dissection in patients with PTC.
