Steven G. Silverberg

Amyloidosis of Breast: A Golden Rule to Avoid Some Pitfalls During Intraoperative Consultation

The outlook on intraoperative consultation of breast specimens has been revolutionized with the advent of mammography. The overall accuracy rates of frozen section diagnoses of breast lesions have been significantly altered with increases seen in false-negative findings and deferral rates. Intraoperative cytology in experienced hands has proved to be more reliable in this era. However, in the intraoperative setting, frozen section still proves to be the gold standard in certain situations, as in the case presented. This case of amyloidosis of the breast reemphasizes the importance of performing a frozen section when the gross and intraoperative cytology examinations are discordant.