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What is colposcopy and what does it do with epithelial abnormalities? Colposcopes are microscope like instrument used to provide physicians a magnified view of...See more » What is colposcopy and what does it do with epithelial abnormalities? Colposcopes are microscope like instrument used to provide physicians a magnified view of the vaginal and cervical surfaces. Colposcopy is a medical technique using colposcopes, which can detect many premalignant and malignant lesions in cervix, vagina and vulva, which are now visible through using this instrument. Colposcopes can visually distinguish normal from abnormal appearing tissue and take directed biopsies for further pathological examination. Colposcopes work as a lighted binocular microscope mounted on a pedestal to magnify the view as it uses higher power to identify certain vascular patterns that may indicate the presence of more advanced precancerous or cancerous lesions. Colposcopes come with different colored filters that are used to block out colors while its magnification capability helps to see abnormal areas clearly so that biopsies can be done perfectly. And speaking about cancerous lesions, one of the many uses of colposcopes is during a Papanicolaou test or Pap smear test, a form of medical procedure, which scrapes cells from the uterine cervix using a small spatula and brush. Pap smear has been around for approximately 50 years and has been a huge help in advancing medical research on cervical cancer prevention by the use of colpo scopes. According to research these scraped cells are then reviewed under a microscope to look for abnormal or precancerous cells, an early detection procedure for cervical cancer. Based on a study, during a colposcopy procedure doctors usually let the patient lay back and place their feet in the stirrups as they insert a speculum into a vagina and opens it slightly so they can examine the cervix. After evaluating the results of colposcopy, the doctor applies a vinegar solution to the cervix and vagina as the vinegar makes an abnormal tissue turn white so the doctors can identify areas that may need further evaluation. After seeing these infected areas with abnormal tissues during a colposcopy, doctors may perform a biopsy. Research says that colposcopy is the gold standard tool in the United States for diagnosing cervical abnormalities after an abnormal pap smear, a procedure that requires many resources and can be expensive to perform. So to find out more on colposcopy, check out informative website as you flip on the pages of this site.See less »