The study of individual cells. Cytology’s main use in medicine is to detect abnormal cells. It is widely used to screen for cancer (as in the cervical smear test) or to confirm a diagnosis of cancer, and increasingly in antenatal screening for certain fetal abnormalities (using amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling to obtain the sample of cells).
Examination of cells in a sample of fluid also helps to determine the cause of conditions such as pleural effusion and ascites.
Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of internal organs also involves cytology.
Study of cells removed from surface of organs (exfoliated cells) for the purpose of diagnosing cancer; e.g., Papanicolaou smear.
n. the study of the structure and function of cells. The examination of cells under a microscope is used in the diagnosis of various diseases. These cells are obtained by scraping an organ, as in cervical cytology (see cervical smear; liquid-based cytology), by aspiration (see aspiration cytology), or they are collected from cells already shed (exfoliative cytology). See also biopsy. —cytological adj.
the *aspiration of specimens of cells from tumours or cysts through a hollow needle, using a syringe, and their subsequent examination under the microscope after suitable preparation (by staining, etc.). The technique is now used widely, especially for superficial cysts or tumours, and has become a specialized branch of diagnostic pathology. See also fine-needle aspiration cytology.... aspiration cytology
(LBC) a technique used for analysing *cervical smears taken for *cervical screening. The specimen is collected using a brush or spatula and then mixed with a liquid preservative fluid. In the laboratory, this fluid is spun and filtered to remove blood and other extraneous material, leaving a thin layer of cells that is spread on a microscope slide and examined. LBC yields specimens that are easier to screen and give more accurate results than those obtained by the traditional Pap test.... liquid-based cytology
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