Exfoliative cytology is the analysis of cells eliminated from the body, often used to evaluate cells for cancer in the mouth or cervix. It can also be used to check for cancer in the skin, throat, and to look for the presence of bacteria. Positive results can lead to further testing or treatment.
Exfoliative cytology, also called cytopathology, is the analysis of cells eliminated from the body. Such cells might be present on the skin, such as a skin lesion, or more commonly, a small amount of tissue is extracted from the mouth or cervix to evaluate the cells for cancer. Exfoliative cytology can be extremely helpful and has been shown to significantly reduce cancer deaths that can be excluded by the Pap smear.
Exfoliative cytology differs from more precise sampling of known lesions, such as needle biopsy. Classify collected specimens only by analyzing the presence of abnormal or atypical cells or showing the presence of malignant cells.
When a woman has a Pap smear, she may have a result that shows atypical cells. If this is the first exfoliative cytology test showing atypical cells, the Pap smear is usually repeated after six to twelve months. If, however, repeated manifestations of atypical cells are present in the exfoliative cytology results, further tests may be done to determine whether cancerous cells are present.
Doctors or dentists may also use exfoliative cytology to check for cancer in the mouth or throat. The test requires skin scrapings and may show the presence of malignant or atypical cells. Malignant and atypical cells will likely require a person to have a biopsy or closer examination of the area in question to rule out cancer.
Exfoliative cytology can be used in the form of skin scrapings of moles that appear to change and could be forms of basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, as well as melanoma. Some clinicians may prefer to forego exfoliative cytology and completely remove moles that are prominent, itchy, or irritating a patient. The mole is then sent to a laboratory to be tested for cancerous cells.
A variant of exfoliative cytology are swabs that look for the presence of bacteria. For example, if a doctor suspects a patient has strep, they may take a swab from the back of the throat, deposit the results into a petri dish, and check the dish again in 24 hours to see if strep bacteria has grown. The results, as in other forms of exfoliative cytology, are analyzed under a microscope. However, swab results are classified as positive or negative.
A similar test can be done on the perineum to look for Streptococcus B in pregnant women. Exposure of a newborn to strep B during passage through the birth canal can be very dangerous to health. Again, the results are classified as positive or negative. Women with positive results can take antibiotics before giving birth, which will protect the newborn from getting strep B. Not all obstetricians will check for this, so it’s usually a test to order.
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