Role of imprint cytology in intraoperative diagnosis: value and limitations

Imprints prepared from fresh surgical specimens give excellent cytological clarity. Used intraoperatively, the imprint method can provide valuable information when frozen-section interpretation is equivocal. However, cytologically well-differentiated tumours and tumours with a dense fibrous stroma, constituting 6% of the cases in the present series, cannot be diagnosed by this method. To increase diagnostic accuracy we recommend the combined use of imprints and frozen sections. The imprint technique requires little additional work and does not delay the frozen-section procedure.