Intraoperative digital microscopic assessment of the deep surgical margins in oral carcinoma surgery: a preliminary report

Background This study assessed the possible ability of intraoperative digital microscopic analysis to control the deep surgical margin in oral carcinoma surgery. Methods A vertical section of a surgical specimen was taken from the central part of the resected tumor. The section was assessed using a digital microscope. The results of digital microscopic analysis were compared with the corresponding results of the conventional histopathologic assessment. Results The method was accurate in 10 of the 12 patients (83%) in evaluating the closest deep surgical margin. There was no significant difference in the tumor-margin distance between the digital microscopic and the histopathologic assessments in these 10 patients (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P > .13). Conclusions The digital microscopic examination was useful in controlling deep surgical margins and selecting the nearest margin for additional frozen section analysis. Additional methods that could clarify the difference between the tumor and fibrous tissue are necessary.