Fresh, direct, and phase contrast microscopy is an easy-to-perform, replicable, and economical diagnostic technique included in the guidelines of the Centers of Disease Control of Atlanta in 2015. Vaginal fresh cytodiagnostics offers real time precious information on the female’s hormonal status and cervical-vaginal infections without the need for fixation and staining of the specimen. This practical highly-illustrated atlas offers state of the art information on the most recent advances in the use of Microscopy in gynecologic practice.

Author

Giovanni Miniello

Gynecologist, Member of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology Vaginal Trainer of the International Federation of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy and the International Agency for Research on Cancer

Visiting professor of Colposcopy and Uro-Gynecological Microscopy in different foreign universities United Nations International Consultant.

Presentation

Phase-contrast microscopy is an easy-to-perform diagnostic method, repeatable, noninvasive, and very inexpensive, as suggested in the 2015 Atlanta CDC guidelines.

Recently, the prestigious scientific journal Obstetrics and Gynecology Survey has published: "Physicians should evaluate the clinical practicality and utility of Phase Contrast Microscopy, and use it to the diagnosis of common vaginal infections.

Erich Burghardt, the father of gynecologic oncology, wrote: "Wet mounting provides rapid, complete, and reliable information for accurate diagnosis and thus specific treatment in daily gynecological practice".

Wet mount vaginal cytodiagnostic examination can provide in real-time, without any type of fixation and staining of the preparations, valuable information on the hormonal status of the woman, cervico-vaginal infections (which represent the most frequent cause of gynecological consultation in the world) also, those that go unnoticed in the culture test, as well as the presence of atypical or neoplastic cells.

Phase-contrast microscopy is applicable to cultures of the oral cavity, skin, rectum, and urethra, essential to reveal simultaneous infection of sexual partners, often responsible for recurrences of serious infections.

Due to its characteristics and diagnostic capabilities, phase contrast microscopy continues to be a valuable diagnostic aid for many health professionals, in scientific research, and in daily gynecological practice.