Frozen Section Library: Lung

neoplasms which may be more difficult on frozen section than permanent section and which have a serious impact on the surgeon's immediate treatment decisions, will be emphasized. Rapid consideration of differential diagnoses and how to avoid traps caused by frozen section artifacts will be readily accessible to the users of the handbooks. A series of concise, easy-to-use, well-illustrated handbooks alleviates the often frustrating and time-consuming, sometimes futile, process of searching through bulky textbooks that are unlikely to illustrate or discuss pathologic diagnoses from the perspective of frozen sections in the first place. Tables and charts will provide guidance for differential diagnosis of various histologic patterns.



The advantages of a series of organ-specific handbooks, in addition to the ease-of-use and manageable size, is that (1) it allows more comprehensive coverage of more diagnoses, both common and rare, than a single volume that tries to highlight a limited number of diagnoses for each organ and (2) it allows more detailed insight by permitting experienced authorities to emphasize the peculiarities of frozen section for each organ system. Although some differences in practice of frozen section exist between different institutions, such as differing policies regarding whether or not to perform frozen section on specific types of specimens, these differences are generally not significant and can be discussed ( an organ-specific handbook by an expert in that organ system permits more opportunity for this type of discussion). Touch preparations, which are used for some organs such as central nervous system or thyroid more often than others, will be appropriately emphasized and illustrated according to the need for each specific organ.



This series will be highly valuable to practicing surgical pathologists, both community and academic, and to pathology residents and fellows. The perspectives provided will also bevaluable to surge