Frozen Section Library: Appendix, Colon, and Anus

Frozen sections are performed for the purpose of rapid diagnosis while a patient is undergoing surgery, usually under general anesthesia, as a basis for making immediate treatment decisions. Therefore, pathologists must render a diagnosis quickly, despite the pitfalls and artifacts associated with frozen section preparation, which are not present in permanent sections of fully processed tissues that can be examined in a more leisurely fashion. Most standard pathology textbooks largely ignore the topic of frozen section. Few textbooks have ever focused exclusively on frozen section diagnosis and those that have done so are now out-of-date and have limited numbers of black and white figures. None has emphasized the education of the surgeon in terms of frozen section benefits, limitations or proper utilization.

The Frozen Section of Appendix, Colon, and Anus will provide a convenient, user-friendly handbook to expedite use when performing intraoperative consultations on colonic resection specimens. This book will be 5 X 8 inches in size and is estimated to contain 200 to 250 pages in toto with 100 to 150 color figures. The book will be divided into chapters that emphasize the common questions that pathologists must answer on frozen section examination and the pitfalls associated with those specific diagnoses. The diagnostic issues impacting immediate surgical decision-making will be color illustrated and discussed succinctly, including the well-known problems associated with gross assessment of cancer cases, assessment of treated rectal carcinoma, and evaluation for Hirschsprung’s disease. Specific issues related to anal pathology (e.g. Paget’s disease) and appendiceal neoplasia will also be addressed.