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Pitfalls of Frozen Section to Intraoperative Consultations of Evaluating Lymph Nodes for Involvement by Metastatic Malignancies: Benign Processes Mimicking Metastatic Carcinoma

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Book cover Frozen Section Library: Lymph Nodes

Part of the book series: Frozen Section Library ((FROZEN,volume 10))

Abstract

Intraoperative assessment of lymph nodes has emerged as an essential tool to guide clinical teams during the management of several solid tumors. As discussed in Chap. 5, identification of lymph node metastases can dramatically alter treatment plans in real time, leading to more aggressive management in some scenarios and termination of a procedure that was preoperatively considered as potentially curative in others. Accordingly, it is essential that the pathologist render accurate diagnoses, as errors may trigger irreversible surgical interventions or necessitate additional procedures at a later date. However, a number of potential pitfalls may be encountered in the intraoperative assessment of lymph nodes, leading to both false-negative and false-positive results. Among these pitfalls are benign epithelial and other (nonepithelial) mimics of carcinoma that may be found in lymph nodes and confused with metastatic disease as well as sampling errors, among others. In this chapter, these potential sources of error are considered along with some practical considerations that may allow the practicing pathologist to recognize these challenges and avoid the pitfalls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Cherie H. Dunphy MD (Professor & Executive Director of Hematopathology and Hematopathology Fellowship)

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  1. Cherie H. Dunphy MD
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Correspondence to Cherie H. Dunphy MD .

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  1. of Hematopathology, and Hematopathology Fellowship, Full Professor & Executive Director, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Chapel Hill, 27599-7525, North Carolina, USA

    Cherie H. Dunphy

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Dunphy, C.H. (2012). Pitfalls of Frozen Section to Intraoperative Consultations of Evaluating Lymph Nodes for Involvement by Metastatic Malignancies: Benign Processes Mimicking Metastatic Carcinoma. In: Dunphy, C. (eds) Frozen Section Library: Lymph Nodes. Frozen Section Library, vol 10. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1253-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1253-3_6

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