Journal profile · Pathology
Acta Cytologica
ISSN 0001-5547 · eISSN 1938-2650 · S. Karger AG · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1957
Acta Cytologica: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.51; hybrid open access; median 57 days to acceptance (91 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 99 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Acta Cytologica is published by S. Karger AG and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Cervical Cancer and HPV Research, Cancer and biochemical research and Breast Lesions and Carcinomas, together about 30.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
With articles offering an excellent balance between clinical cytology and cytopathology, 'Acta Cytologica' fosters the understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms behind cytomorphology and thus facilitates the translation of frontline research into clinical practice. As the official journal of the International Academy of Cytology and affiliated to over 50 national cytology societies around the world, 'Acta Cytologica' evaluates new and existing diagnostic applications of scientific advances as well as their clinical correlations. Original papers, review articles, meta-analyses, novel insights from clinical practice, and letters to the editor cover topics from diagnostic cytopathology, gynecologic and non-gynecologic cytopathology to fine needle aspiration, molecular techniques and their diagnostic applications. As the perfect reference for practical use, 'Acta Cytologica' addresses a multidisciplinary audience practicing clinical cytopathology, cell biology, oncology, interventional radiology, otorhinolaryngology, gastroenterology, urology, pulmonology and preventive medicine.
Source: LetPub
Research area (LetPub): Pathology
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Cervical Cancer and HPV ResearchMedicine13.3%
- Cancer and biochemical researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9.4%
- Breast Lesions and CarcinomasMedicine7.9%
- Salivary Gland Tumors Diagnosis and TreatmentMedicine7.8%
- Endometrial and Cervical Cancer TreatmentsMedicine6.3%
- Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis and TreatmentMedicine5.7%
- Cancer and Skin LesionsMedicine4%
- AI in cancer detectionComputer Science3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Pathology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Pathology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Pathology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.51LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.4LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.81LetPub ·
- h-index
- 53LetPub ·
- h-index
- 77OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,054OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.31OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 20%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 11.83%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 77LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,144 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 71 | 15 | 22 |
| 2025 | 99 | 28 | 151 |
| 2024 | 74 | 16 | 146 |
| 2023 | 62 | 14 | 272 |
| 2022 | 76 | 24 | 472 |
| 2021 | 76 | 20 | 480 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
57 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 36 days – 85 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 12 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 69 days
- Sample
- 91 articles with submission and acceptance dates (185 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1957
- ISSN
- 0001-5547
- Electronic ISSN
- 1938-2650
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Acta Cytologica
What CAS zone is Acta Cytologica in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Acta Cytologica is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Pathology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Acta Cytologica?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.51; CiteScore 2.9, h-index 77.
How long does peer review take at Acta Cytologica?
Based on the dates recorded on 91 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 57 days (interquartile range 36–85 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Which databases index Acta Cytologica?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Acta Cytologica is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Acta Cytologica open access, and what is the APC?
Acta Cytologica is a hybrid journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-24). Last updated: .