In gynecological practice, the prevention of cervical cancer is very well developed. The first step is the examination of the epithelial cells of the cervix, and the result determines the next stages of diagnosis and treatment. (To the first part of the material) Examining the cells from the cervix is ​​called Papnicolaou test or pap smear. With him, the most important thing for the routine activity is the possibility of the pathologist to detect even the smallest deviations in the maturation and differentiation of the epithelial cells. The method involves taking cytological material with a wooden spatula, cotton swab or brush. The material taken is applied to a glass slide and stained with various chemical dyes. The classification of precancerous qualitative characteristics of cells is divided into four groups, and the fifth group means definite malignancy. The groups are as follows: PAP groups Description PAP I Normal cells PAP II Atypical cells, without signs of malignancy (inflammatory changes) PAP III Atypical cells, suspicious for malignancy without it being obvious PAP IV Atypical cells, strongly suggestive of malignancy PAP V Atypical cells, certainly morphological evidence of malignancy With a result of PAP III and above, it is appropriate to continue the diagnostic plan with another examination, which is called colposcopy. It should be noted here that the smear is not a diagnosis of cancer, but a screening method to screen out suspicious cases. Also, some inflammatory diseases of the vagina and cervix can give a result with a higher group than the essence belongs to the cellular changes. Colposcopy is an endoscopic examination to examine the epithelium of the organs of the lower genital tract – cervix, vagina, vulva, perineum and anus. The colposcopic examination is performed after the application of three histochemical samples: with 3-5% acetic acid, Lugol’s solution and methylene blue. The acetic acid test looks for areas on the cervix that turn white due to the short-term precipitation (gluing) of the young proteins that are synthesized by the atypical cells. NEWS_MORE_BOX Lugol’s solution test stains normal squamous epithelium dark brown, while atypical epithelium remains iodine negative. Methylene blue is not used to evaluate the epithelium of the cervix, but rather is used to inspect vulvar changes. The original squamous epithelium of the cervix is ​​smooth, uniformly pink, and no areas of columnar epithelium are found. After applying acetic acid, the epithelium does not turn white, but after applying lugol it turns brown. In turn, the cylindrical epithelium on the inner part of the cervix is ​​single-layered and forms mucus. From the acetic acid, it acquires a grape-like structure, and after the Lugel sample, there is a tendency for a yellowish coloration. The boundary between these two epithelia in the different stages of a woman’s life undergoes displacement depending on the hormonal status,inflammatory processes and the nature of the performed diagnostic procedures. For example, in menopausal women, this border moves to the cervical canal and becomes invisible on colposcopy and impossible to evaluate. The movement of the border between the two types of epithelium of the cervix leaves behind an area with a changed epithelium – metaplastic epithelium. This area is called the transformation zone. Metaplastic epithelium is a normal finding, but its sensitivity and high proliferative nature make it a target for oncological diseases. It is precisely in this area of ​​the cervix that changes such as leukoplakia, mosaic, vascular atypism and acetic-white epithelium are looked for during colposcopy, which are suspicious of a malignant process. to be continued