Cytological examination is the analysis of fluids and body secretions, by studying the cells that make up the sample under the microscope, allowing to detect the presence of signs of inflammation, infection, bleeding or cancer..
This test is usually indicated to analyze the contents of cysts, nodules, unusual fluids that accumulate in body cavities, or abnormal secretions such as sputum.Some of the main types of cytology are those performed in aspirational thyroid punctures or breast nodules, as well as in the Pap test or in aspiration of respiratory secretions, for example.
- Although cytological examination can evaluate several types of changes.
- It is called onchotic cytology when specifically looking for the presence of cancer cells.
It should be remembered that cytology and histology are different tests, because cytology evaluates the characteristics of cells in a material, usually obtained by puncture, while histology studies whole pieces of tissue, which can observe the composition.and the architecture of the material is usually collected by biopsy and is generally more accurate.Find out what a biopsy is and what it’s used for.
Examples of cytological tests include
Thyroid aspiration cytology or thyroid fine needle aspiration (PAAF) is a very important test for the assessment of thyroid nodules and cysts, as it is able to indicate whether it is a benign or malignant lesion.
During this test, your doctor will prick the nodule, which can be guided by ultrasound, and you will get samples of the cells that make up it.The material is then placed on a slide so that it can be analyzed under a microscope, allowing you to see if the cells have abnormal characteristics that may suggest cancer.
Therefore, aspiration cytology is useful for guiding the best treatment of a nodule, indicating the need for a single follow-up, in mild cases, with surgery to remove the thyroid, if malignancy is also suspected.chemotherapy to identify cancer.
Find out when this test is needed and how to understand thyroid puncture results.
Breast aspiration puncture is one of the most common and important types of cytology for evaluating the characteristics of breast cysts or nodules, especially when they develop rapidly or have suspicious cancer characteristics.Understand the risk of breast cyst being cancer.
As in the case of thyroid puncture, the test may or may not be performed by ultrasound, and then the equipment is sent to the laboratory for cytological examination to evaluate the cells that make up the aspirated material.
In this test, a scraping and brushing of the cervical area is performed to collect samples of cells from this area, which will be attached to a blade and sent to the lab.
Therefore, this test is able to identify vaginal infections, STDs, and signs of cervical cancer. Cancer cell research is also known as cervical oncotic cytology, which is a very important test for early diagnosis and prevention of cervical cancer.
Check how the Pap test is performed and understand the results
Respiratory secretions such as pulmonary sputum or nasal mucus can usually be collected by suction for laboratory evaluation; this type of test is usually requested to try to identify the microorganism that causes the infection, such as fungi or bacteria, such as tuberculosis., may also evaluate the presence of cancer cells, blood cells or signs of allergy.
Other types of fluids and fluids can be evaluated in the body during cytological examination, and a common example is urinary cytology, when investigating the presence of urinary tract infections or inflammations.
Another important example is ascitic fluid cytology, which is a fluid that builds up in the abdominal cavity, mainly from abdominal diseases, such as cirrhosis, this test may be requested to shed lighten the cause of ascites, as well as to look for infections.or even signs of abdominal cancer. Learn more about this ascites problem.
Fluid that accumulates in the pleura can also be collected for cytology, which is the space between the membranes lining the lungs, in the pericardium, which is the membrane around the heart, or even the fluid that builds up in the joints, due to arthritis caused by autoimmune or infectious diseases, for example.