One of the most important and sensitive areas of the body of a woman is the cervix.

Covered with a thin mucous membrane, composed of epithelial cells, between the uterus and the vagina, there is the cervix.

Because of its sensitivity, the cervix is often the target of several infections, which can lead to the emergence of more serious conditions.

Some of the diseases characteristic to cervix are the cervicitis, dysplasia, and cervical ectopy or HPV infections.





           


Cervicitis is caused by the inflammation of the cervix.

Depending on the anatomical characteristics of each woman and sensitivity, inflammation can occur after intercourse or contraceptive pill administration or contracting a sexually transmitted disease, accidents etc.


When ignored, cervicitis can cause ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, miscarriage, infertility, birth complications and even cancer.

Symptoms may include vaginal discharges which sometimes have streaks of blood, pain, dysmenorrhea, painful intercourse.

Treatment consists of administration of drugs that target the inflammatory infection and in chronic cases it can be appealed even at conization or LEEP (the loop electrosurgical excision procedure) to remove affected tissue.


One of the most common gynecologic disorders is the cervicitis:

the inflammation of cervix, which usually accompanies any vaginitis (vaginal inflammatory), which is why doctors prefer to diagnose it as "colpitis" (meaning cervical-vaginal inflammation).

A third of consultations conducted in gynecology offices have this result as diagnosis.


Frequently, cervicitis does not cause any symptoms and it is discovered as a result of a Pap smear or biopsy performed for another condition, according to "Family Health Guide", developed by Mayo Clinic.


But, when they occur, they can be followed by:

- Gray or yellow vaginal discharge 

- Pain and bleeding during or after intercourse


Among the causes of cervicitis there are included:

- Sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, Trico monas, Gonorrhea, Herpes, HPV, mycosis, syphilis) 

- Disturbance of vaginal pH (Candidiasis)

- Performed maneuvers ended with local traumas after introducing tampons, the IUD or cervical rupture occurred during childbirth, curettage or hysteroscopy.


Treatment Cervicitis can evolve slowly, for years.

The only symptom being a vaginal discharge, not always abundant with which women usually get accustomed.

When associated with another local disease it can be quite "noisy":

abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, and menorrhagia.

Sometimes, it can lead to infertility.


Treatment aims to eradicate the infection (if any) or just inflammation (with eggs).

When it comes to periorificial congenital ectopy, treatment can be done either with eggs or surgical (LEEP, through vaporization or cryotherapy).

In more severe cases when cervical lesions are very old, or at risk of recurrent malignancy, proceed to cervical conization or amputation.




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