[Value of rapid biopsy in diagnosis of thyroid cancer]

Patients with thyroid carcinoma (ThC) in 67% are erroneously operated on with the diagnosis of nodular struma, this resulting in the recurrences in 30% and mortality and complications reaching 42%. Since 1977 the authors were performing rapid biopsies in all cases of the euthyroid struma and this resulted in the proper diagnosis in 98% of operated patients (48.6% before this). Short-term examination consists of stereo-morphology of the surgical material and the preparation by means of the deep frozen knife, of the histo-topographical section stained by Harris hematoxylin. Microcarcinomas are revealed by this method 30 times more frequently than in routinely treated sections. Short-term biopsy of the thyroid is as necessary as it is in the mammary gland lesions.