Intraoperative cytopathology of thoracic surgery (ICTS). A captivating, worthwhile, and rewarding service line

Intraoperative cytopathology for thoracic surgeons is a service that has not been utilized to its full potential in most institutions. It has the advantage of a rapid turnaround time, low costs, high accuracy, real time communication with the surgeon, on-site visualization of the lesion before excision, simplicity, and safety. Our experience, common cytologic findings of the most frequent thoracic tumors encountered during ICTS, hints about the service, and models for implementation and maintenance are presented. This review is aimed to present our experience and perspective about intraoperative cytopathology for thoracic surgeons.