Cytology is the study of normal cells. When cells are looked at for abnormalities or signs of disease, it's usually called
cytopathology. Pathology is the branch of medicine that looks at why and how diseases happen.Cytology is a branch of science that deals with the structure, function, and pathology of cells. Pathology, on the other hand, is the
study of disease. Pathology can be caused by abnormal cells, but it can also be caused by other things, such as bacteria or viruses.
As nouns the difference between cytology and pathology is that cytology is (biology) the study of cells while pathology is (medicine) the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences.
A certain kind of physician, called a pathologist, will look at the cells in the tissue sample under a microscope and look for characteristics or abnormalities in the cells. Since
cytology only examines cells, which are so tiny, pathologists only need a very small sample of tissue to do a cytology test.
Pathology reports are generally more comprehensive, as they provide detailed information about the structure and function of the organs and tissues being studied.
Cytology reports, on the other hand, tend to be more focused on the cells themselves, providing information about their size, shape, and other characteristics.