What Is Vaginal Cytology?

The female reproductive organs consist of the vulva, vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. The cytology of female genital tract examination is mainly used to screen and observe the curative effect of malignant tumors in the female reproductive system and reflect the levels of sex hormones in the body.

The female reproductive organs consist of the vulva, vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. The cytology of female genital tract examination is mainly used to screen and observe the curative effect of malignant tumors in the female reproductive system and reflect the levels of sex hormones in the body.

Name

Vaginal cytology

category

Microscopy

Vaginal cytology reference interval

No tumor cells were found, or grade 1 or 2 cytology.

Clinical significance of vaginal cytology

Cytological diagnosis is usually divided into five levels: level 1 represents normal cell morphology; level 2 represents cells with mild to moderate nuclear heterogeneous morphology, but is a benign lesion; level 3 represents the possibility of cancer cells; level 4 represents the presence of cancer Cells, but the morphology is not typical; level 5 represents typical cancer cells.

Find a tumor cell or cytology grade 5 indicating a malignant tumor, such as cervical, ovarian, vaginal, and uterine cancer. Cervical cancer is more common in squamous cell carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma). Ovarian and uterine cancers are mainly adenocarcinomas. Vaginal cancer is also mainly squamous cell carcinoma. Grade 4 cytology, indicating that the patient should have a biopsy. Grade 3 cytology indicates that patients should continue to be followed up and have regular cytology examinations.

Reproductive tract cytology can only find malignant cells as a preliminary screening and cannot be located. Further examination is needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Vaginal cytology precautions

(1) Sexual life, vaginal examination, lavage and vaginal medication are prohibited within 24 hours before taking the specimen.

(2) Do not use vaginal suppositories 2 days before colposcopy.

(3) The hemostatic gauze in the vagina of the patient receiving the section can be removed during bathing at night. If you feel that there is always blood flowing out or a lot of bleeding after the gauze is removed (this situation is very rare), you should go immediately Hospital emergency. Patients receiving the section should not go to the house for 2 weeks.

Vaginal cytology examination process

Specimen collection type compliance process can be divided into:

(1) Vaginal smear: The main purpose is to understand ovarian or placental function. For married women, generally use a small scraper to gently scrape the superficial cells on the side wall of the vagina, and apply it thinly and evenly on the glass; for unmarried women with very little vaginal secretion, roll it tightly The sterilized cotton swab was soaked with normal saline, then extended into the vagina, and the cells were gently rolled up on 1/3 of the side wall. The cotton swab was removed and smeared in one direction on the glass slide.

(2) Cervical curettage: It is an important method for screening early cervical cancer. Traditionally, at the junction of the squamous epithelium of the outer mouth of the cervix, taking the outer mouth of the cervix as the center of the circle, gently scrape a small wooden spatula for 1 week, remove the scraper, and smear in one direction on the glass slide. The number of cells obtained by this method is small and the preparation is relatively poor, so the current application has gradually decreased.

(3) Thin-layer liquid-based cytology specimen collection: Use a special small brush to collect cervical cells. Immediately after removing the specimen, wash it into a vial with cell preservation solution, filter through a high-precision filter membrane, and The impurities in the specimen are separated, and the filtered epithelial cells are uniformly distributed on the glass slide. This method is easy to identify abnormal cells, and the sensitivity and specificity are increased to about 85% to 90%.

(4) Cervical tube smear: Cervical tube cancer is suspected, or postmenopausal women withdraw from the cervical canal due to cervical scales and column junctions. To understand the condition of the cervical tube, this test is feasible. First wipe the cervical surface secretions, enter the cervical canal with a small scraper, and gently scrape for a week to smear.

(5) Intrauterine smear: used for suspected malignant lesions in the uterine cavity, it has a higher positive rate than vaginal smears and scrapes. Use plastic tubes of different models with a diameter of 1-5mm. One end is connected to a dry and sterilized syringe, and the other end is sent into the uterine cavity to the bottom of the uterus with large forceps. Turn it up and down, left and right, and gently suck the syringe to smear the aspirate.

(6) Local printing: Use clean slides to directly press the lesions for printing. Commonly used for suspicious lesions of the vulva and vagina.

Vaginal cytology related diseases

Postmenopausal endometrial cancer, cervical cancer of adolescents and younger sons, abortion, vaginal adenocarcinoma, dysfunction, groin granuloma, ovarian cancer, early invasive vulvar squamous carcinoma, vaginal foreign body, anterior vaginal wall swelling, etc.

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