A smear is one of the main methods of laboratory research used in gynecology. With its help, you can identify various gynecological diseases: thrush, bacterial vaginosis , vaginitis, cervical tumors, etc.
How is a gynecological smear performed?
Preparation of a smear is a simple procedure, in which the doctor scrapes directly from the mucosa of the internal genitalia (neck, vagina, cervical canal of the uterus) and then under study with a microscope.
Types of smears in gynecology
There are 2 main types of smears, which are also used in gynecology, microbiological and cytological.
The first is to study the microorganisms present in the smear, and the second contributes to the study of the cervical tissues, some of which were taken with a smear.
A smear on the flora is a microscopic study, the purpose of which is to determine the nature of the gynecological microflora in the vagina, cervical canal, urethra. It is conducted for the purpose of diagnosis, as well as the prevention of inflammatory diseases, at least every six months.
What does the result show?
Gynecological smear shows what is contained in the genital tract of a woman. Normally, the smear on the flora contains squamous cells of the epithelium, leukocytes, gram-positive rods and mucus. Depending on how much they are contained in the smear, determine the degree of purity of the vagina.
Smear for cytology (PAP test) is a method of research used in the diagnosis of cervical cancer. It assesses the size, shape, number of cells in the smear. This contributes to the early detection of cancer. In the case of detection in the gynecological smear of cells-oncocytes, a biopsy is performed for the precise diagnosis.