Urine cytology
Urine cytology Urine collection for cytology: Exfoliated cells lying in urine which has been in the bladder for several hours (e.g. early morning specimens) or in a urine specimen that has been allowed to stand for several hours, are degenerate. Such urine specimens are not suitable for cytological interpretation. Cytological examination can be performed on bladder washings (using normal saline) obtained from the bladder at cystoscopy (or following catheterization) or from the ureter (via a ureteric catheter or ureteroscope). The urine is centrifuged and the specimen so obtained is fixed in alcohol and stained by the Papanicolaou technique. Normal urothelial cells are shed into the urine and under microscopy their nuclei appear regular and monomorphic (diffuse, fine chromatin pattern, single nucleolus). Causes of a +ve cytology report (i.e. abnormal urothelial cells seen high nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio, hyperchromatic nuclei, prominent nucleoli): urothelial malignan