The tissue sample is stained with various dyes and examined under a microscope. Abnormal patterns observed in the sample may be characteristic of various conditions, including infection, inflammation, and cancer. It provides a tissue sample without surgery. It yields minute amounts of tissue compared with a biopsy performed during surgery. As a result, the abnormality or the part of the abnormality that is likely to be most revealing for diagnosis may be missed.
Factors affecting results Failure to fast before the test.
The next step Possible surgical exploration and treatment. Adapted from The Patient's Guide to Medical Tests by Faculty Members at The Yale University School of Medicine. Copyright 1997 by Yale University School of Medicine and G.S. Sharpe Communications, Inc. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. No part of this database may be reproduced or otherwise used without prior written permission from the publisher unless such use is expressly permitted by applicable law.