Cervical erosion - damage to the epithelial cover, or a violation of the integrity of the vaginal region of the cervix.
Erosion is determined with the help of special mirrors and represents bright red areas, located mainly in the area of the external throat of the cervix.
This is one of the most common diagnoses that is made today for women. According to medical statistics, 50% of women in the world face this pathology. But it is often impossible to guess about its development without a gynecological examination.
What is true and false erosion?
Why does cervical erosion occur, and what is it? Specialists-gynecologists distinguish true and false erosion.
- True erosion of .This is a pathology that is acquired as a result of the influence of any unfavorable factors. The cause is various damaging factors( damage by bullet forceps, inflammatory exudate).As a result, the epithelium of the vaginal area of the cervix uteri slides, and inflammation begins at the site of the lesion. True erosion often occurs on the lower lip of the cervix. When the disease takes an irregular shape and has a bright red color. Also, erosion is characterized by bleeding from the erosion site.
- False erosion of .The epithelial cells are replaced by a cylindrical epithelium. It would be more accurate to say that with pseudo-erosion of the uterus, the boundaries of the cylindrical epithelium( that is, the cells lining the internal channel of the cervix) are displaced outside the outer throat. Pseudo-erosion is detected in these or other periods of life in 35-40% of girls. As a rule, a woman does not bother with anything. When joining the infection, you may receive complaints of leucorrhea from the genital tract, pain in the lower abdomen, the appearance of contact bloody discharge after sexual intercourse.
Congenital .The formation of congenital erosions of the cervix occurs as a result of the displacement of the boundaries of the cylindrical epithelium lining the cervical canal, beyond it. Displacement( ectopia) of the epithelium occurs even in the fetal developmental period of the fetus, therefore such erosions are considered congenital.
Causes of cervical erosion
Cervical erosion, as well as the reasons for its appearance, has been discussed by doctors for quite some time. At the present time, several theories have spread:
- The first place is the theory of female genital inflammation , especially endocervicitis, which is accompanied by increased secretion of the glands of the cervical epithelium.
- Mechanical injuries .Such traumas can appear due to gross sexual acts or during childbirth. Inflammation develops on the site of a strong physical impact on the multilayered flat epithelium.
- STIs : candida, papilloma virus, chlamydia, genital herpes, trichomonases, gonococci.
- Early onset of sexual activity .The mucous membrane of female genital organs finally ripens to 20-23 years. If infection is involved in this delicate process, pseudo-erosions can not be avoided.
- Disorders of the menstrual cycle of due to problems in the hormonal background.
There may be erosion and other pathologies of the cervix and with a decrease in the protective functions of immunity.
Cancer provoker
What is cervical erosion and as a result, there are practically no symptoms with it? Gynecologists awarded the disease with the term "cancer provoker".The reason is that the cervix is devoid of nerve endings.
Because of this, pathological processes such as erosion, dysplasia, and often cancer, can for a long time not give anything to know about themselves, and often only preventive examinations of the gynecologist facilitate their accidental detection. Sometimes you can suspect that something is wrong with bloody discharge or bleeding, provoked by sexual intercourse.
Other background diseases of the cervix
- Polyps are mucosal outgrowths. They can be located both on the outer surface of the cervix, and inside the cervical canal. The occurrence of polyps is most often associated with chronic inflammation or a viral infection( papillomavirus infection, herpes, CMV).They are subject to mandatory removal.
- Leukoplakia is a section of keratinization. As a result of viral damage( herpes simplex virus, HPV) or chronic inflammation, cells begin to be intensively divided, a "crust" appears on the surface of the mucous membrane.
- The ectropion is very similar to erosion, but it has a slightly different cause. It appears due to the eversion of the cervix into the lumen of the vagina, more often after birth.
Symptoms of cervical erosion
When a woman develops erosion, she does not have any changes in her condition and well-being, and she can not notice the characteristic symptoms of cervical erosion.
The fact that the cervix is devoid of sensitivity and even during sexual intercourse the woman does not feel a sense of discomfort. However, after an intimate affinity, some women have minor bloody or succulent discharge, which is a good reason to visit a doctor.
As you can see, erosion of the cervix does not have pronounced symptoms, so women often find out about this problem at a gynecologist's appointment.
Cervical erosion: photo
How does this ailment look like, we offer detailed photos to view.
Diagnosis
For early detection and timely treatment of erosion, even a healthy woman should visit the gynecologist at least twice a year. If the doctor sees that there are any defects on the cervix of the uterus, it is mandatory to perform colposcopy - examination using a special device with an optical system. This procedure is painless and does not require special preparation.
If during the examination the gynecologist sees a site that requires more careful study, he will take a small piece of it from him with special tweezers. This is called a biopsy. It is necessary to then examine in detail the cells of the cervix under a microscope.
How to treat erosion of the cervix?
The therapeutic approach is primarily determined by the type, size of the ectopia, the age of the patient, the presence or absence of concomitant diseases. That is, the treatment of cervical erosion is individual for each individual patient.
First of all, before the beginning of the main treatment - accurate timely diagnosis and rational treatment of STIs( in case of detection), otherwise all efforts can be in vain. In addition, a mandatory clinical and laboratory examination of the sexual partner is necessary. Initially, it is necessary to eliminate the inflammatory process in the cervix and vagina. If the ovarian function is impaired, appropriate treatment should also be carried out.
In the treatment of cervical erosions, practical gynecology adheres to the following rules:
- True erosions and pseudo-erosions of are treated simultaneously with background diseases that cause or support them.
- Observation of with congenital erosions of , no need for their treatment.
- Erosion in the active stage of inflammation is treated with sparing methods( vaginal tampons with sea buckthorn oil, fish oil, solcoseryl ointment, sintomycin emulsion, aerosols with antibiotics - levovinizol, olazol, etc.).
- In the case of , signs of inflammation should be used to treat pathogens( trichoids, chlamydia, gonococci, etc.).
Modern approaches to the treatment of cervical erosion are based on the use of the mechanism of cell destruction of the cylindrical epithelium, their rejection and subsequent restoration of the flat epithelium on the surface of pseudo-erosion. To this end, the methods of diathermocoagulation, laseraporization, cryodestruction, radio wave method are used - we shall consider them below.
Cauterization of cervical erosion
In order to remove the affected tissue, that is, to update the cells of the cervix, doctors advise a procedure such as moxibustion.
According to the reports of women, the most effective methods of treatment today are recognized:
- Cryodestruction - the erosion site is treated with liquid nitrogen( ultra-low temperature), a thin and very cold manipulator, the damaged area "freezes" to a healthy tissue.
- Laser-coagulation - the erosion site is exposed to the impacting surgical laser beam( a powerful beam of light).A positive aspect is the possibility to change the depth of the effect, which allows treating both superficial and deep erosion.
- Radio wave cauterization of cervical erosion by the "Surgitron" device is recognized by the majority of gynecologists as "the gold standard of treatment".Such a procedure does not require complicated training of a woman, is carried out in a few minutes, and the healing process is minimal short - up to 14 days.
- Chemical coagulation .This method of removing the ectopia of the cervix is the treatment of the pathological site with chemical solutions, for example, the Solkovagin preparation. Its constituent components are organic acids( oxalic and acetic) and zinc nitrate with nitric acid. Chemical degradation is applied only when processing small areas of ectopia.
The choice of method of cauterization of erosion should be carried out exclusively by a specialist who takes into account not only the effectiveness of the method, but also the patient's state of health with possible contraindications.
Cervical erosion after cauterization
After completion of the procedure, women may experience pain, bleeding and discharge. In the event that, after cauterization, heavy bleeding appeared, it is to say that a large vessel was injured. In this situation, you need to immediately contact your doctor. Only he can stop this dangerous bleeding.
With the help of antispasmodics, like no-shpa and spasmalgone, you can remove weak pulling pains in the lower abdomen. Without the doctor's permission, it is better not to apply them.
Effect on pregnancy
The presence of erosion does not mean that a woman will not become a mother. Naturally, like any damage to organs entering the genitourinary system, erosion is the object of close monitoring by a gynecologist. Depending on the type of erosion, its size and location, treatment can be prescribed both before and after pregnancy.
Doctors warn that a planned pregnancy with a preliminary examination for the presence of all kinds of problems and their cure before conception increases the likelihood of a successful pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby.