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In the human body there is a huge number of cells that are updated daily. In order to make an accurate diagnosis and assess the general condition of the patient, in some cases it is necessary to take material from suspicious areas.
The study of cells takes place under a microscope, since it is this equipment that allows you to examine in detail the type of cells, their ability to function, and degeneration. Therefore, cytological examination remains one of the most demanded in medical practice.
The essence of cytological research
This type of research has several main objectives. The very first thing you can find out is the state of the material under study. Doctors make a conclusion on the shape, size and structure. A study is also being carried out for the presence of special inclusions in the cells.
Cytological examination can diagnose the presence of cancer cells in the body in time.
During the study, doctors should be alerted by the presence of leukocytes in the material, which indicates inflammation. Leukocytes are blood cells that perform protective functions in the human body. Exceeding the allowable number of microorganisms or the presence of pathogenic species indicates an infectious process.
A smear may reveal abnormal cells. Their presence indicates a malignant degeneration of the tissues from which the sampling was carried out. When such cells are found, the patient is sent for examinations that will help determine if there is cancer in his body. Thus, it is possible to diagnose an oncological process at an early stage, which does not yet give clinical manifestations.
Cytology is often confused with histology. If cytology studies the accumulation of cells, then histology studies the tissues of organs and various neoplasms.
What is needed for a cytological study
Cytological research is aimed at studying the cells that are in the human body. In medical practice, there are several methods that allow you to take material for research:
- a smear from a biological fluid (urine, sputum, discharge from the prostate and mammary glands, swabs from the surface of internal organs during endoscopic examination);
- scraping or imprint from the surface of organs (cervix, nipple, ulcers, fistulas, erosion and various wounds);
- puncture (joints, tumors, spinal canal, abdominal cavity, thyroid gland, mammary gland);
- tissue imprint (surface of a fresh surgical incision).
The microscope plays an important role in research. It is enough not only to take a smear, scraping or puncture, it is very important to properly set up the equipment. To get more detailed information, you need to take biological material from different parts of the tissue. So the doctor will be more likely to determine the exact localization of the pathological focus.
In medical practice, there are several types of cytological examination. For example, in some cases, the cells are stained, and in some cases, they are fixed on a glass slide with alcohol or formalin. In some situations, the resulting material is transferred into a test tube, and after a while directly onto the glass. As a rule, this is done when examining a liquid. If the specialist complies with all the rules of the diagnostic measure, then the results will be more informative.
How the research is done
In medicine, there are several methods of cytological examination. Much depends on the method of taking the material and the ultimate goal of the manipulation. Consider the example of the most common method – a smear.
This analysis is well known to all women. Using this technique, it is possible to timely diagnose cervical cancer, inflammation and other pathological processes occurring in the female body.
A cytological examination is indicated for all women who are sexually active. Frequency – once a year. Among all diagnostic measures, cytology is the fastest and most affordable.
When conducting any type of cytological examination, the patient does not require special preparation. In our case, a smear is taken during a gynecological examination. To do this, a special brush is inserted into the woman’s vagina. It is a thin plastic stick with bristles. When these bristles touch the walls of the vagina, the epithelium remains on them. It must be immediately transferred to a glass slide.
In order not to miss and diagnose the presence of a pathological process in time, the doctor needs to collect the epithelium from the walls of three organs – the vagina, urethra and cervix. After the biological material is on the slide, it must be delivered to the laboratory within 2 hours. Already here, the cells are stained in a bright color and examined under a properly adjusted microscope.
During the study, the doctor examines the cells according to all criteria – size, shape, structure and inclusions, and already by these parameters draws up a general picture.
The time for a cytological examination depends on the workload of the laboratory. In modern public and private clinics, the material is studied by automatic equipment. In a simple hospital, this is done by a doctor. Therefore, in the second case, the decoding of the analyzes will take much longer.
As a rule, the results of a cytological examination are ready within 1-3 days. But if there is evidence for an urgent response, then the result can be obtained within an hour.
Cytology has a number of advantages over other diagnostic methods. Taking biological material does not take much time, and it is quite easy to make it. You can take an analysis of your choice – in a public hospital, antenatal clinic or a private office.