Causes and Treatment of Cervical Erosion
Cervical erosion: Cervical erosion is a form of other types of cervical inflammation. When the epithelium at the external os of the cervix falls off and is replaced by another type of epithelial tissue from the cervical os, due to the thinness of the newly formed epithelium, one can even see the blood vessels and red tissues beneath it, which appears like actual erosion; hence, it is called cervical erosion.
Reasons for the formation of cervical erosion:
Cervical erosion has a certain relationship with sexual activity. It is necessary to remind you that although cervical erosion is more common in married women, it does not mean that unmarried women cannot have cervical erosion. Besides childbirth, abortion, infection, surgery, etc., all can cause cervical erosion, sexual intercourse can also cause a certain degree of damage to the cervix, thereby leading to symptoms.
Some women are very particular about hygiene but lack the necessary knowledge, often using highly concentrated cleaning solutions to wash the vagina, which often backfires. Because this not only affects the normal growth of vaginal flora, reducing their ability to suppress pathogenic bacteria, but can also cause varying degrees of injury to the cervical epithelium, ultimately resulting in erosion.
There are many reasons for the formation of cervical erosion, and you can consult with online experts at the Shanxi Huimin Hospital to understand the situation.
Classification of cervical erosion:
Cervical erosion is one of the local characteristics of chronic cervical inflammation. For a long time, clinical doctors have regarded chronic cervical inflammation and cervical erosion as synonymous terms, but according to the different stages of its pathological process, cervical erosion can be divided into the following types:
1. Pseudo-erosion: The pathological concept of erosion refers to "the shedding of surface epithelium," and the cervical erosion commonly seen in clinical work is mostly the red area around the external os of the cervix. During colposcopy, after applying 3% acetic acid on the surface of the red area, one can observe the "grape-like" changes in the red area, caused by columnar epithelial edema. If a biopsy is performed on this area, microscopic examination will reveal coverage by columnar epithelium. Therefore, if we strictly adhere to the pathological definition of erosion, this area does not belong to erosion, hence some suggest calling it pseudo-erosion. Most cases of cervical erosion observed in clinical practice fall under this category.
2. True erosion: Due to the frequent presence of a large amount of mucus or purulent secretions covering the cervix, these secretions chronically stimulate and soak the squamous epithelium surrounding the external os of the cervix. Combined with inflammatory infiltration of deeper cervical tissues, the squamous epithelium covering the cervix loses vitality and sheds, forming an ulcer, which is true erosion. However, this eroded area is quickly covered by the surrounding columnar epithelium, forming a red area with a granular surface and a certain luster, known as pseudo-erosion. In daily clinical work, most cases of cervical erosion discovered belong to pseudo-erosion, while true erosion is just a transient stage in this lesion process, eventually turning into pseudo-erosion as it is covered by columnar epithelium.
3. Congenital erosion: During fetal development, except for the vaginal epithelium, all other reproductive tract epithelia originate from the body cavity epithelium. When the embryo develops to the 3rd or 4th month, the cylindrical epithelium inside the cervical canal and the squamous epithelium on the surface of the cervical-vaginal part can already be clearly distinguished. At this point, the junction of the two types of epithelia is not at the cervical os but inside the cervical canal. When the embryo develops to the 6th-7th month, the cervical columnar epithelium has already developed secretory functions.
4. Acquired erosion: Acquired erosion is relative to congenital erosion and mostly occurs in women of childbearing age with vigorous ovarian function. The cervical canal's columnar epithelium is influenced by estrogen produced by the ovaries, resulting in excessive hyperplasia exceeding the external os of the cervix, making the external os appear eroded. The appearance of such erosion looks no different from inflammation-induced erosion; it's just that the cause of the erosion differs. This kind of erosion is more common during pregnancy, and most cases regress spontaneously postpartum. Since the causes differ, there may be some variations in clinical manifestations. The leukorrhea of such patients will increase, but the nature of the leukorrhea is clear mucus, tightly adhering to the surface of the cervix and difficult to wipe off. Pathological examination reveals no inflammatory cell infiltration below the columnar epithelial cells, but rather glandular and stromal hyperplasia. This indicates that this type of erosion may be somewhat related to endocrine changes, but not directly related to inflammation. Of course, inflammation infection easily follows on the basis of erosion, but this inflammatory manifestation is merely a result and not the cause of erosion.
How to check for cervical erosion:
For cervical erosion checks, the first thing that needs to be done is a routine gynecological examination. A routine gynecological examination generally includes regular checks, vaginal discharge checks, transvaginal ultrasound checks, cervical smear checks, and breast checks. Specifically speaking, routine gynecological examinations include checks on the vulva, vagina, cervix, as well as the size, shape, position of the uterus, and checks on the fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Shanxi Huimin Hospital reminds you that cervical erosion checks should be conducted at a formal reproductive hospital!