In medical practice, cytological and histological methods are used to diagnose various diseases. Ordinary patients do not always understand the difference between them. Therefore, in this article we will understand what cytology and histology are.
Fundamentals of disease diagnosis
Determination of the form of the disease has long passed to the cellular level. Under a microscope, laboratory assistants can see what is wrong with the structure of tissues and cells in the human body. This will give a clear understanding of exactly how to treat a particular ailment. For these purposes, doctors take tissue samples from patients from those organs that begin to malfunction.
In laboratories, special preparations are added to them, causing them to change, which are then studied by specialists. Based on these data, the final diagnosis is made. During treatment, additional studies may be needed to assess the dynamics of therapy and, if necessary, correct it.
Cytology and histology are considered the most accurate diagnostic methods. But with the seeming one andthe same subject of study, they study different structures of the human body.
Cytology: what kind of science is it
The human body is made up of many tiny cells. They are the object of cytological research. This science has long studied their structure. Therefore, the deviation from the norm will be noticeable immediately.
Besides, with a careful study of the cells, you can notice the changes that immediately begin in them, which have not yet developed into a disease, but can become such if adequate therapy is not started in time. Therefore, cytology is used in the early stages of diagnosis during preventive examinations.
To take a sample for research in such cases, non-invasive techniques are used: a smear or scraping. Such manipulations do not cause much discomfort to the patient.
But sometimes cytology and histology complement each other. This happens when a histological examination reveals disorders that require more precise specification at the cell level.
Histological features
This is a science that studies the structure of tissues, consisting of cells. She doesn't need to know what's going on at a deeper level. It is enough to figure out how much the sample submitted for research is within the normal range.
Each tissue of the human body consists of a certain set of one or another type of cell. If there are deviations from the norm in the test sample, this can be considered a disease. Such changes in the structure of the tissue givethe ability to accurately differentiate a particular disease that requires special methods of treatment.
As mentioned earlier, in some cases, additional study of cellular structures may be necessary. But this method is rarely resorted to.
Histology is used at the stage of diagnosing a disease, when the patient already has certain he alth complaints, and the doctor suspects structural changes in a particular organ. Therefore, samples of presumably affected tissues of the organ are taken for research. This technique is invasive. Tissue is taken from a person by biopsy or during an operation for research.
Differences between the two diagnostic methods
The main difference between cytology and histology is the object of study. The first is the science of the structure and division of cells, the second is about tissues that consist of these same cells. Histology does not care what happens inside them. It states the fact of the correct or pathological structure of the tissue.
Also, these methods are used at different stages of diagnosis. Cytology is mainly relevant for preventive examinations. It makes it clear how well a single cell functions. Histology, on the other hand, is a method of confirming, differentiating, or refuting a suspected disease. It is resorted to when the patient already has characteristic symptoms.
They also differ in their invasiveness. For cytological preparations, it is not necessary to take deep cell samples. It is enough that the doctor canobtained during a preventive examination without the use of surgical methods. Histology needs precisely those tissues in which changes are suspected. Therefore, samples for future drugs are obtained surgically.
Here they are so different with apparent similarity - cytology and histology. But their importance in diagnostics cannot be overestimated.
Tutorials
Medical universities pay great attention to this area. Every future doctor should take a course of cytology. General histology is also a compulsory subject. Because even without a laboratory assistant, doctors have to understand a little about the features of the drugs being studied. After all, there are not so few situations in which this knowledge can be useful in practice.
There are textbooks on the study of cytology and histology, which are developed by domestic and foreign experts. They help to study these disciplines in detail. Here are the most famous and frequently used ones:
- "Histology, Cytology and Embryology" (V. Bykov, S. Yushkantseva). This atlas is the best assistant for practical laboratory work.
- "Histology, Embryology, Cytology" (Afanasiev et al.). In this edition, previously known facts are presented from the point of view of the achievements of modern science.
- "Cytology, histology, embryology" (V. Sokolov, E. Chumasov). Textbook for students of veterinary faculties.
Of course, there are other publications, andtextbook authors, but these are the ones most in demand in the country's medical schools.
Best of the best
Among all these books, Afanasiev's textbook "Histology, Cytology, Embryology" is worth mentioning. It is considered canonical in the study of these disciplines.
This book was written in 1998 in order to give students the most up-to-date knowledge in this branch of science. It summarizes the research of the best Russian and world scientists. Based on them, the most accurate data has been collected so that future doctors can actively use them in their practice.
Since the development of science does not stand still, the textbook itself has already undergone several changes and additions so that medical students receive the most up-to-date information.
Also, the authors of the textbook made sure that the illustrations in it reflect the described nuances as accurately as possible. There is also a connection with related sciences in the book, which more widely reveals the importance of this branch of medical research for the further treatment of patients.
Conclusion
Cytological studies, as well as histological ones, play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of the most complex and terrible diseases that occur against the background of changes in the structure and functioning of cells and organs. In the article, we examined the distinctive features of both sciences.
Also now you know in which textbooks you can find more detailed and most up-to-date information on each of thesedisciplines.
