Intraoperative cytopathology of thoracic surgery (ICTS). A captivating, worthwhile, and rewarding service line

• Published in: Seminars in diagnostic pathology Vol. 39; no. 6; pp. 383 - 388
• Main Authors: Torrealba, Jose R., Waters, John, Opsahl, Madeleine, De Las Casas, Luis E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-11-2022
• Subjects: Cytopathology; Intraoperative cytology; Lung cancer diagnosis; Lung tumors; Intraoperative cytology; Cytopathology; Lung cancer diagnosis; Lung tumors
• ISSN: 0740-2570; 1930-1111
• DOI: 10.1053/j.semdp.2022.01.005

Intraoperative cytopathology for thoracic surgeons is a service that has not been utilized to its full potential in most institutions. It has the advantage of a rapid turnaround time, low costs, high accuracy, real time communication with the surgeon, on-site visualization of the lesion before excision, simplicity, and safety. Our experience, common cytologic findings of the most frequent thoracic tumors encountered during ICTS, hints about the service, and models for implementation and maintenance are presented. This review is aimed to present our experience and perspective about intraoperative cytopathology for thoracic surgeons.