Cervical biopsy

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Female reproductive anatomy

Cervical biopsy

Cold cone biopsy

Colposcopy-directed biopsy

Uterus

Overview

Risks

Results

Cervical biopsy

Alternative Names:

Cervical punch biopsy; Biopsy - cervical punch; Biopsy of the cervix

Normal Values:

The tissue sample from the cervical biopsy will be examined by a pathologist who will report to your doctor whether the cells appear normal or abnormal.

What abnormal results mean:

Abnormal results of the biopsy may indicate problems, such as abnormal tissue development or cell growth in the cervix (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia), or an invasive carcinoma (cancer).

Colposcopy may be used to keep track of precancerous abnormalities and look for recurrent abnormalities after treatment. Abnormalities that may be noted and either biopsied or monitored include any abnormal patterns in the blood vessels, whitish patches on the cervix, and areas that are inflamed, eroded, or atrophic (tissue wasting away).

Additional findings may indicate:

Review Date: 5/4/2004
Reviewed By: Peter Chen, M.D., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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