Schiller’s test /shil′ərz/ [Walter Schiller, Austrian pathologist in the United States, 1887–1960] , a procedure for indicating areas of abnormal epithelium in the vagina or on the cervix of the uterus as a guide in selecting biopsy sites for cancer detection. A potassium iodide or aqueous iodine solution is painted on the vaginal walls and cervix under direct visualization. Normal epithelium contains glycogen and stains a deep brown; abnormal epithelium, containing no glycogen, will not stain, and nonstaining sites may then be included in tissue biopsy samples. The test is not specific for malignancy, because inflammation, ulceration, and keratotic lesions also may not accept the iodine stain.
