The sensitivity, specificity and accuracyof frozen section examination were 93%, 100% and 97%, respectively compared with 88%, 89% and 91% for FNAB (p>0.05). Frozen section examination affected intraoperative decision making regarding the extent of thyroidectomy in only 2 patients (3%), one of whom had lymphocytic thyroiditis and a false-positive FNAB, whilst the other had papillary thyroid cancer that was diagnosed on frozen section examination but which a FNAB interpreted as follicular neoplasm. There was one false-negative frozen section examination compared with two false-negative FNABs and no false-positive frozen section examinations compared with two false-positive FNABs.