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A member asked:
Sputum ctyology 1of the test out of 3 atypical. why would not all three be atypical? why does only one show atypical out of three?
2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Sample: Each test is a sample of the cells, so one test does not capture all the kinds of cells that may be present.
Answered 4/28/2014
4.1k views
Mixed with good: Cytology looks for cell types. Most cells are going to be normal and doctor is looking for the few that aren't. So we typically get at least 3 to try not to miss something in the hopes that one is positive for what we are looking for. It is very rare for 3 of 3 to be atypical. It is like finding a needle in haystack. The more hay (spit) we look through maybe we will fit what we are looking for.
Answered 4/28/2014
4.1k views
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