If you have had a Pap test, a fine needle aspiration, or a procedure to sample fluid from around your lungs or in your abdomen, the report you received was likely a cytology report. Cytology reports are different from the tissue-based pathology reports most people are familiar with — they are based on the examination …
Read More »
ASC-US stands for “atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance.” It is a result on a Pap test (also called a Pap smear) that means some of the squamous cells collected from the surface of your cervix look slightly abnormal under the microscope. The changes are not clearly normal, but they are also not clearly precancerous, …
Read More »
A fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a medical procedure that uses a thin needle and suction to remove a small amount of tissue or fluid from an abnormal area of the body. Doctors commonly perform this procedure on abnormal areas of tissue in the thyroid gland, salivary glands, pancreas, breast, lung, lymph nodes, and …
Read More »
The transformation zone is a normal part of the cervix, the lower end of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Two different types of cells cover the cervix: Squamous cells, which cover the outer surface of the cervix (the ectocervix) Glandular cells, which line the cervical canal leading into the uterus (the endocervix) The …
Read More »
Negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM) is the most common and reassuring result on a Pap test (also called a Pap smear). It means that the cells collected from your cervix showed no signs of precancerous change or cancer. In most situations, NILM is considered a normal result. This article will help you understand …
Read More »
What does “suspicious for follicular neoplasm” mean? Suspicious for follicular neoplasm is a term pathologists use to describe an abnormal growth in the thyroid gland. It is a preliminary diagnosis that includes both non-cancerous and cancerous conditions. These conditions include: Adenomatoid nodule – Adenomatoid nodule is a non-cancerous type of growth in the thyroid gland. …
Read More »
What is a Pap test? The Pap test is a screening test that looks for abnormal cells in the vaginal portion of the uterine cervix. It is called a screening test because it is designed to detect disease before a person experiences any symptoms. The test was named after Dr. Georgios Papanicolaou who invented the …
Read More »
