Cervical ectopia: causes, diagnosis and treatment

Quite often, after visiting a gynecologist's office, women first hear about a diagnosis called "cervical ectopia". This term is not completely understood by a person without medical education, and therefore the patients are trying to find additional information on this topic.

So what is this pathology? How dangerous is it? Under the influence of what factors develops the disease and whether it is possible to somehow prevent its appearance? What symptoms should I pay attention to? Answers to these questions will benefit many readers.

Ectopia cervical and endocervical cervix: what is it?

Of course, first of all, women are interested in the question of what the disease is. In fact, the ailment is known in medicine under different terms - it is pseudo-erosion, and endocervical cervical uteri. What is it and how can it be dangerous?

To answer this question, we must first of all consider the features of female anatomy. The cervix is the lower part of the organ that connects the vagina and the uterine cavity. Inside the cervix is the cervical canal. The vaginal part of the cervix is covered with very characteristic flat epithelial cells, which are arranged in several layers. But the cervical canal is lined with a single layer of cylindrical epithelium. For some patients, for some reason or another, the cylindrical cells extend to the vaginal part of the cervix, replacing the multilayered flat epithelium. In such cases, cervical ectopia with squamous metaplasia is diagnosed in women.

Physiological ectopia - what is it?

It is worth noting that this pathology is not always dangerous. Special therapy is prescribed only at the risk of complications.

In some cases, replacing the flat epithelium and is generally considered the norm. For example, similar changes in the structure of the cervix are often found in adolescent girls and young women. This tissue change is associated with an increase in the level of sex hormones (estrogens), which is completely normal at this age.

For physiological reasons, pregnancy can also be attributed, because during this period of a woman's life the body also passes through significant hormonal changes.

What are the causes of the appearance of the pathological process?

There are other risk factors that can lead to the pathological spread of the cylindrical epithelium.

• If it is an external effect, then cervical ectopia can develop against the background of infection in the cervical tissue (including venereal diseases).
• Risk factors include early onset of sexual activity, cervical injuries during intercourse, promiscuity, use of barrier contraceptives (eg, spirals), too frequent use of spermicides.
• Injuries to the cervix can occur during labor, abortion, diagnostic or therapeutic curettage.
• As for internal factors, they can include hormonal imbalance, for example, with the disease of certain organs of the endocrine system.
• For endogenous reasons also include prolonged inflammatory diseases of the reproductive system, against which cervical ectopy (cervicitis and other ailments) can develop.
• There is an assumption that the development of pathology can lead to the use of hormonal contraceptives, as well as bad habits (especially smoking), work in harmful production and hereditary predisposition. Nevertheless, the importance of these factors has not yet been proved, and therefore the issue remains open to researchers.

What are the symptoms of the disease?

Cervical ectopia of the cervix rarely leads to any deterioration in well-being. As a rule, pathology is detected accidentally during a routine examination. External symptoms are manifested only if the ectopia is complicated by inflammation.

Signs include the appearance of uncharacteristic leucorrhoea with an unpleasant odor, as well as itching and discomfort in the area of the external genitalia. Some women complain of pain during intercourse, as well as the appearance of bloody discharge after it is completed. Possible burning and soreness during urination. But again, these symptoms indicate the presence of an inflammatory process in the cervical tissues.

Ectopia and pregnancy: how dangerous is this?

In this case, much depends on whether cervical ectopia was detected before or during pregnancy. If the pathology was diagnosed during the child's planning period, then treatment is necessary, especially if an inflammatory process with infection was detected during the study. In such cases, antibacterial therapy is necessary, after which the pathology site is cauterized.

If the ectopy was formed already during pregnancy, then, most likely, it is associated with physiological changes and no treatment is required. In any case, the expectant mother should undergo regular examinations and take tests. When joining the infection, a sparing antibacterial treatment is carried out. Nevertheless, it is possible to burn the "wound" only after 6-8 weeks after delivery.

Chronic form of the disease

The chronic form of the disease is indicated if the ectopia, along with complications in the form of an inflammatory process, was not diagnosed on time. Prolonged inflammation is accompanied by approximately the same symptoms as the acute form - the patients complain of soreness, unpleasant discharge, itching in the genital area.

Chronic form is much more difficult to treat and requires additional diagnostic measures. If the inflammation of the cervical canal and ectopia are not treated, then other complications, up to infertility, are possible.

Modern diagnostic methods

In fact, cervical ectopy is a pathology that is fairly easy to detect with a standard gynecological examination using mirrors. When the cylindrical cells of the neck of the vagina spread beyond the permissible limits, then these areas become redder. The cervix is covered with small wounds.

Naturally, further studies are needed for differential diagnostics (this pathology must be distinguished from, for example, true erosion, oncological diseases):

• For a start, a scraping of cells is taken from the cervical canal. The samples are then sent for a cytological analysis, which helps to determine the presence of malignant degeneration.
• A colposcopy is performed, the doctor examines the structure and condition of the cervix using special solutions to which healthy and altered cells react differently.
• Biopsy is a study that is conducted when a cancer is suspected. During the procedure, the doctor cuts out a small area, obtaining tissue samples for further laboratory testing.
• Bacteriological seeding of samples taken from the cervical canal allows to determine whether a bacterial infection is present, as well as to know the exact variety of the pathogen, to find out its resistance to certain types of antibiotics.
• A PCR test is indicated when a virus infection is suspected - this is almost the only way to accurately determine the pathogen by the characteristics of its DNA.

Drug treatment and its effectiveness

What if you have a cervical ectopia? In some cases, treatment may not be required. For example, in adolescent girls, pathology often disappears by itself after normalizing the level of hormones. The same applies to pregnant women - ectopy is healed after childbirth and lactation.

Specific drug therapy is required if the pathology is complicated by infection. Depending on the type of pathogen, the patient is prescribed antibacterial, antiviral or antifungal drugs. If ectopy is associated with hormonal imbalance, appropriate treatment with hormonal drugs can be performed.

Other therapies

In addition to drug treatment, sometimes it is required to remove the site of pathology in order to prevent further "sprawling" of the cylindrical epithelium. Modern medicine offers several ways:

• Cryodestruction - on the site with pathologically altered tissues are affected by ultra-low temperatures (in fact - by liquid nitrogen).
• Chemical degradation is a procedure in which the cylindrical epithelium is destroyed by chemically aggressive solutions (for example, "Vagotil", "Solkagin").
• Diathermocoagulation - cauterization of pseudo-erosion by means of electric currents.
• Radio wave therapy is a technique that allows you to eliminate pathological areas with the help of high frequency currents, without direct contact with the tissues of the cervix.
• Laser destruction - a technique that allows you to quickly remove foci of the disease, minimizing the risk of infection of tissues. This technology practically does not require a rehabilitation period.

Are there any preventive methods?

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine or any other medicine that can prevent the development of such an ailment. However, if you avoid risk factors and follow some standard recommendations, you can minimize the likelihood of a pathology such as cervical epithelium.

In particular, it is necessary to refuse promiscuous sexual relations, and in any case to use protection against venereal diseases. Any infectious or inflammatory disease of the pelvic organs should give in to the treatment in time, because then the probability of complications is reduced. In no case do not arbitrarily apply hormonal drugs (including contraceptives). It is important to follow the rules of personal hygiene.