My wife is a "cytotechnologist" and is helping me with this reply. Cytology is a part of the pathology laboratory. They look at specimens and evaluate the cells (not the larger tissue pieces) for cancer, pre-cancer and infection. Specimens commonly evaluated are urines, body fluids, pap smears, fine needle aspiration biopsies, sputa and bronchial and more. Cells are evaluated under a microscope (no fancy machines) and determined to be normal or abnormal for that specific body site. If the specimen is cancer or suspicious for cancer, they say so in the report. If there are cells that are "not normal" but the reason for the "abnormality" is not known, it is called "atypical". Reactive and reparative conditions in the body can cause atypical cells as a body's way of responding to a trauma or a procedure. Pre-cancer or cancer can also cause "atypia" when the cancer cells are not readily identifiable and recognized. A doctor may repeat the test or order a more conclusive tests if atypical cells are identified. The doctor can call the pathologist and consult as to what to do next (wait, repeat the test, order another test, such as immunos, FISH...). Hope this helps. DS