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Although an erosion is not cancerous, if neglected, it can develop into cervical cancer over time. However, this is not cause for panic. The disease is easy to recognize. It is only necessary to regularly visit the gynecologist and do a cytology. What are the causes of the appearance of an erosion? Does an erosion show characteristic symptoms?
The erosionforms in the vaginal partof the cervix . It is a loss of epithelial tissue around the mouth of the outer part of the cervix with exposed connective tissue. It looks like a small spot on the mucosa. It is red in color and has a rough, papillary surface. It is most common in 25-35-year-old women.
Reasons for the appearance of the erosion
It is a consequence of cervicitis, which developed as a result of infection with bacteria (e.g. vaginal trichomoniasis), viruses, fungi. The risk of erosion increases if a woman starts intercourse early and changes partners frequently. She is then much more exposed to sexually transmitted infections. The reason may also be the early onset of sexual intercourse after childbirth and hormonal problems.
ImportantCytology is best done in the middle of the menstrual cycle. No vaginal medications, contraceptives or irrigation should be used 3-4 days before the scheduled visit. You should also refrain from sexual intercourse for at least two days.
Erosion: symptoms
Usually, the disease does not cause any symptoms, it does not hurt, so most often it is detected accidentally. But the presence of erosions may be indicated by a slight or profuse odorous discharge of white, yellow or greenish color (there may be traces of blood) that appear before menstruation, temporary pain in the sacro-lumbar region and lower abdomen, and slight spotting between periods . But just finding an erosion does not satisfy the doctor. During an ordinary gynecological examination, it is impossible to say whether there are cancerous cells in the lesion. And these can appear even in small erosions. There is only one way to explain the problem - by cytology.
What is cytology
For this purpose, every woman should visit a gynecologist once every six months. The test result must be shown to the doctor. Cytology ison taking a smear from two places: disc and cervical canal. The doctor inserts a speculum into the vagina and uses a special device (it resembles a trident-shaped toothbrush) to take a sample. He puts it on a laboratory glass slide and stains it with a reagent. The material prepared in this way is assessed by a cytologist under a microscope. He belongs to a specific cytological group. In order to properly evaluate the sample, the cytologist must know the patient's age, the date of the last menstruation and have information about possible gynecological treatment, neoplasms, etc. The result must be detailed, so that the gynecologist can accurately assess the he alth condition and select the treatment.
How to read the Pap smear results
In laboratories you can get the result of a cytological test performed according to the old rules, i.e. according to Papanicolau (the so-called Bethesda description also applies): Group I - everything is fine, cervix is completely he althy. Group II - indicates the presence of a few abnormal cells in the deeper layers of the epithelium or inflammatory changes. Group III - means that the so-called dysplastic cells that can develop into a tumor; further diagnosis is advisable. IV group - suspected presence of neoplastic cells; after such diagnosis, a biopsy is usually performed, which determines whether it is a tumor and what type, it may be necessary to partially remove the uterus. Group V - there are a lot of neoplastic cells, and their presence has been confirmed by specialist tests ; to save life, the entire reproductive organ must be removed, and after the surgery, chemo- or radiotherapy should be applied.
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