Equipment for cytology
- Cytocentrifuges;
- Cytological staining system;
- Devices for automated liquid-based cytological diagnostics;
- Reagents for liquid-based cytology;
A cytological study is a characteristics assessment of the morphological cell structure. It is based on the study using a microscope of the cell structure features, the cellular composition of organs, tissues, fluids of the human body in normal conditions and in the presence of pathologies. The main difference between a cytological study and a histological one is that it is not tissue sections that are studied, but the cells themselves. The purpose of a cytological examination is to determine the benignity or malignancy of tumors and non-tumor lesions.
When is cytology used?
- Screening;
- Diagnosing disease;
- Diagnosing during surgery;
- Treatment and post-treatment control;
- Follow-up (to detect disease recurrence).
Materials for cytological examination:
- Fluids: sputum, urine, prostatic fluid, endoscopic swabs from organs, as well as from the cervix and uterine cavity, breast discharge, scrapings from ulcerative surfaces, wounds, fluid from articular and serous cavities, cerebrospinal and amniotic fluid;
- Punctates: materials obtained by fine-needle aspiration;
- Removed tissue prints.
Features of the cytological research method:
- Safety. This is largely facilitated by the development of endoscopic technology, which allows purposefully obtaining test material from internal organs that were previously inaccessible for morphological analysis without surgical intervention;
- Speed. The study can be completed in 10 minutes;
- Ability to monitor treatment dynamics. When conducting a cytological study, the material can be used repeatedly, which is especially important both for assessing the dynamics of morphological changes during the disease and for determining treatment effectiveness;
- Formation of high-risk groups for cancer of different localizations. It is virtually impossible to follow-up of this category of persons with the help of other, especially invasive, research methods;
- Diagnosis of tumors at any stage of the process and any localization. When detecting cancer in the very early stages, the cytological method sometimes has advantages over other diagnostic tests. There are widely known cases of cytological diagnosis of clinically, radiologically and endoscopically "silent" cancer of the stomach, lung, bladder, etc.