colposcope
Meaning of colposcope: The instrument never touches the patient, which surprises people expecting something closer to an internal camera.
Definition of colposcope
A colposcope is a lighted instrument fitted with magnifying lenses, used to examine the surface of the cervix, vagina and vulva in close detail. It sits outside the body on a stand or arm and works much like a binocular microscope aimed through a speculum, so nothing beyond the speculum itself enters the vagina.
When is a colposcope used?
The usual trigger is an abnormal result from cervical screening, whether abnormal cells on a sample or a positive test for a high risk human papillomavirus type. Screening says that something needs a closer look; the colposcope provides it. Magnification of roughly six to forty times brings into view changes in surface texture and in the pattern of small blood vessels that are entirely invisible to the naked eye. A green filter is often switched in, because vessels appear black against green light and abnormal branching stands out. The examination is also used to assess the vulva and vagina, and to follow tissue after earlier treatment for a precancerous change of the cervix.
What do the solutions do?
| Solution | Effect on normal tissue | Effect on abnormal tissue |
|---|---|---|
| Dilute acetic acid | Little visible change | Turns white for a time, because the cells are crowded with nuclear protein |
| Iodine solution | Stains dark brown, since the cells store glycogen | Stays pale yellow, having little glycogen to stain |
Neither solution is a diagnosis. They are contrast agents that make the boundary of a suspicious area visible, so that any sampling is aimed rather than random.
What happens if an area looks abnormal?
A small tissue sample can be taken during the same visit, using fine forceps guided by what the magnified view shows. That sample goes to a laboratory, where the degree of change is graded under a microscope. Targeting matters: an aimed biopsy is far more likely to capture the area responsible for the abnormal screening result than a sample taken blindly. The findings of the colposcopic examination and the laboratory grading are then read together, since either alone can under-represent the change. The whole process is the standard bridge between screening and any decision about treating a precancerous change that could otherwise progress toward cervical cancer.
Used in a sentence
Colposcopy was performed to further evaluate the abnormal finding on the patient's screening test.
Good to know
A colposcopic examination allows a biopsy to be aimed at a visibly abnormal area rather than taken at random, which improves the chance of sampling the tissue responsible for an abnormal screening result.
Word origin
Where “colposcope” comes from
Formed from kolpos, Greek for hollow or vagina, and skopein, meaning to look at or examine.