Intra-operative diagnosis in surgical neuropathology: a study of 120 cases with reference to squash cytology.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To present results of intra-operative consultation in surgical neuropathology and discuss the diagnostic guideline for squash cytology. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The intra-operative pathological diagnosis of 120 neurosurgical specimens was compared with the final histologic diagnosis. Squash preparation was used solely in 83 cases, frozen sections alone in 3 cases, and both techniques in the remaining. An algorithm for cytologic diagnosis was described. RESULTS: The intra-operative pathological diagnoses in neurosurgery were completely (83%) and partially (13%) correlated with the final results. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-operative diagnosis in surgical neuropathology is reliable. Squash cytology is highly recommended as an alternative approach.