Summary

Cytology is a powerful diagnostic tool that provides clinicians with immediate information about the cause of lesion formation. Although inflammation is a complex process (involving interactions of several cell types, cell surface receptors, and chemical mediators), the cell types present in a cytologic sample indicate the duration of the lesion and suggest possible causes of the injury. This allows for more informed decisions about additional diagnostics and the medical therapy to pursue. In fact, in cases caused by pathogens, the inciting organism can often be directly identified cytologically.