Frozen section evaluation of lymph nodes in Oral squamous cell carcinoma – A retrospective study

The principal indication of performing a frozen section is to obtain a definite immediate diagnosis, on the basis of which a surgical decision will be made. Immediate diagnosis allows the surgeon to proceed with further therapy without any delay. A definite immediate diagnosis is said to be dependent on the reliability of frozen sections. Many authors have carried out frozen section study on soft tissue tumors and lymph node evaluation in different parts of the body with varying percentages of reliability. However, it appears that lymph node evaluations specifically in oral squamous cell carcinoma cases were not performed, or limited. Hence the present study was undertaken to determine the reliability of frozen section diagnosis in the lymph nodes of oral squamous cell carcinomas. This study was performed so that the surgeons would have an intraoperative assessment of the extent of local metastasis and to determine the adequacy of resection before the wound is closed. The objectives of the present study are to assess microscopically the frozen section of the palpable and non palpable lymph nodes of neck for metastasis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity. To compare the microscopic features of paraffin embedded lymph node sections with those of frozen sections. To assess the reliability of frozen section evaluation of cervical lymph nodes in oral squamous cell carcinoma. The present research work gives 100% accuracy of frozen sections with due care by additional staining to frozen sections by phloxine methylene blue stain, however cannot be in any way superior to the magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, immunoscintigraphy and lymphangioscintigraphy.