they have to pierce your skin in
Cytology
involves examining cells from bodily
tissues or fluids under a microscope
to determine a diagnosis.
lso known as cytopathology involves
examining cells from bodily tissues or
fluids to determine a diagnosis. A
certain kind of physician, called a
pathologist, will look at the cells in the
tissue sample under a microscope and
look for characteristics or
abnormalities in the cells
There are two main kinds, or
branches, of cytology
1. Exfoliative cytology is a branch
of cytology in which the cells that
a pathologist examines are either
“shed” by your body naturally or
are manually scraped or brushed
(exfoliated) from the surface of
your tissue.
Examples of exfoliative cytology
that involve manual tissue
brushing or scraping include:
 Gynecological samples
 Gastrointestinal Sample
 Skin or mucus sample
 Respiratory samples
 Urinary samples
2. intervention cytology is a
branch of cytology in which your
healthcare provider has to
“intervene” with your body to get
a sample of cells to test, meaning
some way to get a sample of cell.
The most common type of
intervention cytology is fine-
needle aspiration (FNA). A
healthcare provider will inject a
thin needle into the area that
they need to sample and draw
out fluid. A pathologist then
examines the cells in the fluid
under a microscope.
WHEN IS CYTOLOGY USED?
 Healthcare providers and
pathologists most commonly use
cytology to diagnose or screen for
cancer.
 A healthcare provider only uses a
diagnostic test for a person if they
have signs or symptoms that
suggest they might have a certain
disease or infection.
 A diagnostic test, such as a
cytology test, determines if
abnormal cells are present. If so,
the test accurately classifies the
disease. A healthcare provider uses
screening tests to see if a person
could have a certain disease, such
as cancer, even before they
experience symptoms. A popular
type of cytology screening test is a
Pap smear. Other uses for cytology
tests include:
 To diagnose infectious diseases.
 To diagnose inflammatory
conditions.
 To examine thyroid lesions
How does cytology test work?
 Collecting the sample cells
  Examining the sample cells
 Processing the sample cells
 Sharing the result
WHEN WILL I KNOW THE
RESULTS OF MY CYTOLOGY
TEST?
The time it takes to get the results of
your cytology test depends on certain
factors like what kind of tissue cells
were examined. Some routine
cytology screenings could take as little
as 1 to 2 days to get your results
while other tests could take 1 to 2
weeks. Factors that affect how long it
takes to get cytology test results
include:
 The need to look at more
tissue or cells.
 Special stains or tests.
 The need for a second
opinion. Processing time.