Library · Procedure
Colposcopy
Make it clearer
A colposcopy is looking at the cervix up close and well lit, using an instrument that magnifies the image, something like a magnifying glass with its own light. When the case calls for it, that same look extends to the vagina and the vulva. If an area shows up looking different from normal, a biopsy can be taken, meaning a small piece of that tissue.
And here is the point that often gets misunderstood: something that looks odd during a colposcopy is not a diagnosis yet. The histologic diagnosis, the one that comes from examining the tissue under a microscope, is a separate thing and comes later. The view shows where to look; it does not rule on what it is.
In brief
Colposcopy uses magnification and light to examine the cervix and, when appropriate, the vagina or the vulva as well.
An area that looks abnormal can be biopsied. What looks abnormal during a colposcopy is not, by itself, a histologic diagnosis of the tissue.
Sources (2)
- American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsColposcopyPublished
- National Cancer InstituteCervical Cancer Diagnosis
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated