Ex Vivo Fluorescence Confocal Microscopy for Intraoperative Examinations of Lung Tumors as Alternative to Frozen Sections-A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Background: Intraoperative frozen sections (FS) are frequently used to establish the diagnosis of lung cancer when preoperative examinations are not conclusive. The downside of FS is its resource-intensive nature and the risk of tissue depletion when small lesions are assessed. Ex vivo fluorescence confocal microscopy (FCM) is a novel microimaging method for loss-free examinations of native materials.