Frozen Sections in Kidney Transplantation

Abstract

Frozen section analysis can be a useful adjunct to transplant diagnostics both for donor kidney assessment and for routine care and management of transplant patients. While limitations exist due to sampling and frozen section artifacts that may obscure relatively subtle histologic findings, big picture assessments are still possible with excellent overall concordance, particularly when performed in conjunction with adequate clinical information. This chapter covers frozen section utility both in choosing donor organs and in making immediate diagnoses for allograft dysfunction.