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Papanicolaou smear
(pap″ah-nik″o-laŽoo)
Papanicolaou test
a simple, painless test based on the discovery that malignant uterine tumors slough off cancerous cells into surrounding vaginal
fluid; it can also be used in diagnosis of lung, stomach, and bladder cancers. Any body excretion (urine, feces), secretion
(sputum, prostatic fluid, vaginal fluid), or tissue scraping (as from the uterus, cervix, or stomach) can be used. The sample
is removed from the area being examined, placed on a glass slide, stained, and then studied under a microscope for evidence
of abnormal or cancerous cells. Called also Pap smear and Pap test.
Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved.
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