Loading...
One controversy in diagnosing giant cell arteritis (GCA) is whether initial biopsies should be obtained from one or both temporal arteries. In this report, Mayo Clinic researchers describe their approach, which they note to be unique: A unilateral biopsy specimen is examined immediately by frozen sectioning. If the frozen section is negative for GCA, the surgeon biopsies the contralateral temporal artery; if the frozen section is positive, the contralateral artery is not biopsied.
Among 795 patients who underwent biopsy during a 9-year period, 119 (15%) had GCA on the permanent sections. The sensitivity of frozen sectioning was 83% for identifying patients whose permanent section was positive; cases missed on frozen section ultimately were i…