Cytology

Cytological examinations are performed on body fluids (examples are blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid) or on material that is aspirated (drawn out via suction into a syringe) from the body. Cytology may also involve examinations of preparations that are scraped or washed (irrigated with a sterile solution) from specific areas of the body. A common example of diagnostic cytology is the evaluation of cervical smears (referred to as Pap smear).