Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the clinical application of lymph nodes frozen section pathology in radical nephrectomy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 650 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy from January 1995 to January 2014 in our hospital, 157 patients underwent lymph nodes dissection; enlarged lymph nodes were found in 120 patients; 36 patients underwent lymph nodes frozen section pathology during surgery. Real lymph node metastasis rate was compared between the cases with and without lymph nodes enlargement frozen pathology and paraffin pathology were compared. Results Of the 120 patients in whom enlarged lymph nodes were found, 27 patients had lymph node metastasis. Of the 36 patients who underwent lymph nodes frozen section pathology during surgery, specimens of 8 patients(22.2%) showed lymph nodes metastasis, and other 28 patients(77.8%) had inflammation of lymph nodes. In 2 of the 8 patients whose frozen pathology suggested lymph nodes metastasis it was proved by paraffin pathology after surgery that their other lymph nodes had metastasis, only one of the 28 patients who showed inflammation of lymph nodes by frozen pathology, proved by paraffin pathology after surgery that there was lymph nodes metastasis. Conclusion For the patients who has renal cell carcinoma with enlarged lymph nodes, use of frozen section pathology of lymph nodes to decide whether lymph nodes dissection is needed is clinically important.

Key words: kidney neoplasm, nephrectomy, lymph nodes dissection