Frozen Section
An intraoperative diagnostic technique in which excised tissue is rapidly frozen, sectioned, and stained to provide the surgeon with a provisional histopathological diagnosis before wound closure.
Full Definition
A frozen section is an intraoperative consultation in which a tissue specimen is rapidly cryostat-sectioned, stained (typically with haematoxylin and eosin), and examined by a pathologist to provide a same-session diagnosis, most commonly for margin assessment or identification of a lesion's nature. In oral and maxillofacial surgery, frozen sections are routinely used during resection of carcinomas to confirm clear surgical margins. Editors transcribing operative or pathology reports must distinguish 'frozen section' from 'permanent section' (paraffin-embedded); the latter carries greater diagnostic weight. Reports may include a 'deferred diagnosis' notation where frozen and permanent section results differ, and editors must preserve this qualifier accurately. The term is always rendered as two words, not hyphenated.
Usage
Usage note: Never hyphenate as 'frozen-section' when used as a noun; hyphenation is acceptable only as a compound modifier (e.g., 'frozen-section diagnosis').
In Context
- "Intraoperative frozen section of the posterior margin showed tumour within 1 mm, prompting immediate re-excision." — Operative report
- "Editors should confirm that any discrepancy between the frozen section and permanent section diagnoses is clearly flagged and not inadvertently removed during editing." — Pathology report editing protocol