What is cytology?
Cytology is the exam of a single cell. These cells are often found in fluid samples. Cytology is used to do the following:
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Diagnose or screen for cancer or diseases
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Screen for fetal abnormalities
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Screen for Pap tests
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Diagnose infectious organisms
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Work with other screening and diagnostic areas
The cells to be examined may be taken by these methods:
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Scraping or brushing the tissue surface, such as during a Pap test
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Collecting body fluids, such as for urine or respiratory mucus (phlegm)
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Removing cells by drawing them through a fine needle (fine-needle aspiration), such as abdominal fluid in ascites, pleural fluid from the lungs, cells from a thyroid nodule, or cerebrospinal fluid from the spinal canal
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Doing other types of tissue biopsy
Cytology is different from histology. Cytology generally means looking at a single cell on its own. Histology is looking at an entire block of tissue.
