Abstract. This paper modifies the Adaptive Contrast Enhancement Algorithm with Details Preserving (ACEDP) technique by integrating a fuzzy element in the image type selection. The proposed technique, named the Adaptive Fuzzy Contrast Enhancement with Details Preserving (AFCEDP) technique, first computes the degree of membership of the input image to three categories, i.e. low-, middle- or high-level images. The AFCEDP technique then clips the histogram at different plateau limits that are computed from both the degree of membership and the clipping functions. The classification of an image in the ACEDP technique is done based solely on the intensity range of the maximum number of pixels, which may be inaccurate. In the proposed AFCEDP technique, the image type classification is handled in a better way with the integration of a fuzzy element. The performance of the proposed AFCEDP technique was compared with the conventional ACEDP technique and several state-of-art techniques described in the literature. The simulation results revealed that the AFCEDP technique demonstrates good capability in contrast enhancement and detail preservation. In addition, the experiments using cervical cell images and HEp-2 cell images showed great potential of the AFCEDP technique as a technique for enhancing medical microscopic images.