The role of fine-needle aspiration cytology and frozen section histology in management of differentiated thyroid cancer: the UK experience

Objective: A review of the literature was undertaken to determine the use by UK surgeons of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and frozen section histology in management of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Results: The extent of FNAC use was highly variable, but commoner amongst more specialised surgeons who performed more than 25 thyroid operations per year. Such surgeons generally perform ipsilateral total lobectomy and isthmectomy for solitary thyroid nodule and use FNAC to assist in planning surgical strategy for differentiated thyroid cancer mainly by determining the likely extent of contralateral lobe resection and nodal dissection required. The use of frozen section histology to aid this decision intraoperatively is largely unreported in the UK literature.