Every fourth woman had or has an erosion. This is a common problem. Although it usually does not cause unpleasant symptoms, it can turn into cervical cancer if left untreated. What are the symptoms of erosion? Learn how to detect and treat cervical erosions.

The erosionis inconspicuous: a small morning with an uneven, papillary surface. It is formed in the lining of the cervix on the vaginal side. Erosion is most often experienced by women who neglect the treatment of vaginitis and vulvitis who have suffered mechanical injuries, e.g. during intercourse shortly after delivery, when the cervix is ​​still weakened.

The erosion is also favored by previous miscarriages and numerous births, during which the cervical epithelium may be damaged. In addition, the contraceptive IUD can cause inflammation of the reproductive organ. The risk of erosion also increases if a woman frequently changes sexual partners because she is more at risk of sexually transmitted infections.

Contents:

  1. Erosion - symptoms
  2. erosion - research
  3. Erosion - treatment
  4. Nadżerka - what do you need to know about it?

Erosion - symptoms

It is rather difficult to guess that an erosion has occurred. But you can suspect it if:

  • you stain between periods or bleed after intercourse
  • you feel pain in the sacro-lumbar region and pain in the lower abdomen
  • you have white (sometimes yellow or greenish, sometimes blood-stained) discharge with an unpleasant odor.

However, such symptoms do not have to occur first, and secondly, they may indicate other diseases. That is why regular gynecological check-ups, repeated every six months, are so important.

A diseased cervical epithelium can be detected by a gynecologist during a routine examination with a speculum. To refine the diagnosis, he will perform or order you to have a culture, cytology and sometimes colposcopy.

erosion - research

You don't need to prepare for the erosion tests. When choosing them, however, you should refrain from intercourse for 2 days, and if you used vaginal drugs (e.g. contraceptives) or did vaginal irrigationwait 3-4 days.

  • Culture is the collection of cervical and vaginal secretions with a spatula. The result allows the doctor to determine what infection (bacterial, viral or fungal) caused your cervix to become inflamed.
  • Colposcopy is a procedure similar to a transvaginal ultrasound. The doctor inserts a colposcope (it is a device that acts as a microscope connected to a computer) through the vagina. The image seen on the monitor is in color, and the examined fragment can be magnified up to 40 times. This allows you to see the lesion in detail and makes it easier to perform a biopsy to take fragments of abnormal tissue for histopathological examination (it excludes or confirms the presence of neoplastic cells).
  • Cytology involves taking a sample for examination from the cervix. The gynecologist or midwife uses a special brush to collect the secretion containing mucosa cells and transfer it to special slides, fixing it with appropriate reagents. The samples prepared in this way are sent to the laboratory. Here, a cytologist specialist checks at a high magnification the size of the collected cells, whether they are properly built and have the correct shape. The cytology result tells you which cytology group you have, the lower the better (the result can also be in the form of a description). Cytology is a simple and important test. It allows you to accurately assess the condition of the cervix and detect all the changes taking place in it, e.g. inflammation, erosions and cancer in the early stages of development, which gives a great certainty of cure.

Erosion - treatment

Erosion is considered a precancerous condition. If not treated in time, it can develop into cervical cancer. It can also cause infections of the uterus and fallopian tubes, sometimes leading to infertility. So if your gynecologist discovers an erosion, you shouldn't delay treatment.

The therapy begins with the elimination of the inflammation that accompanies the erosion. Your gynecologist will most likely prescribe you anti-inflammatory vaginal medications. If the erosion is small and the cytology result is normal, sometimes it is enough for the erosion to heal. However, this must be confirmed during a routine gynecological examination. If anti-inflammatory treatment is not enough to get rid of the erosion, your doctor will choose the treatment that is right for you.

Sometimes you need the so-called chemical coagulation. The wound is spread several times with a preparation that destroys the diseased epithelium. Then the normal epithelium is reborn after about 2 weeks. During this time, you still need to use vaginally hormonal globules containing estradiol, which help in the healing of the erosions.

On liquidationIn case of larger erosions, electric current (electrocoagulation) or laser burning is used. Treatments are performed under local anesthesia. They can leave a slight scar.

Larger erosions can also be destroyed by freezing them (cryotherapy). The probe cooled with liquid nitrogen freezes the diseased mucosa tissues. There may be a slight discharge until it heals, but it clears on its own.

The choice of the method of dealing with erosion depends primarily on the size of the lesions and their location. Regardless of the technique chosen by the doctor, all procedures are performed through the vagina, so no abdominal incision is required. They can be performed on an outpatient basis, which means that you do not need to stay in the hospital and return home on the same day.

In the case of a very large erosion, or when the examination shows cytological group III at the same time, it is sometimes necessary to excise the diseased fragment of the cervix. The doctor can do it either with an ordinary scalpel (so-called conization) or with an electric knife (so-called electroconization).

Regardless of what tool the surgeon uses, the operation is performed under general anesthesia, i.e. under anesthesia. If conization is required, you will spend a few days in the hospital.

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Erosion - methods of detection and treatment

Erosion is common in women - it affects every third, every fourth of them. Its symptoms are difficult to recognize because they can also be present in other diseases. It is best to see a doctor to find out about an erosion. Find out about the methods of detecting and treating erosions, which our expert - medicine talks about. med. Ewelina Śliwka-Zapaśnik, gynecologist from Centrum LUX MED.

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Category:

Female diseases