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colposcopy
medicine
colposcopy, medical examination of the epithelial tissues of the cervix, vagina, and vulva with a special lighted magnifying instrument called a colposcope. Colposcopy is used when the Papanicolaou test (or Pap smear; cervicovaginal cytology) suggests the possibility of cancer of the uterine cervix. It helps to detect precancerous abnormalities and identifies in which areas a biopsy should be performed for a definitive diagnosis to be made.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.
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