Cervical Metaplasia: Causes and Symptoms

In women who are more than 50 years old, doctors often diagnose a disease such as metaplasia of the cervix. This pathology is a precancerous condition and can have serious complications due to incorrectly chosen treatment tactics or lack thereof. Since late diagnosis of metaplasia leads to the fact that normal cells turn into malignant, this pathology should be prevented at the initial stage. That is why all women during the annual routine examination are screened for this pathology.

Causes

In the first place among the likely causes of the emergence of pathology are infectious agents. Pathogens are both bacteria and viruses. The most common virus agent is human papilloma, which often affects the sexual organs of a woman. This infection can be asymptomatic for a long time. Another possible agent is herpes, which has a fairly high oncogeneity.

Bacteria less often lead to such a disease as metaplasia of the cervix. Microorganisms such as toxoplasma, gonococci, ureaplasma, chlamydia penetrate the cell and remain there for a long time, while fighting off immune cells and supporting the inflammation focus.

Risk factors

There are the following factors, leading to the development of pathology:

• alcohol consumption;
• smoking;
• The influence of the environment;
• Food carcinogenic products.

These factors reduce the reactivity of the whole organism, as a result of which the development of functional and, subsequently, morphological changes in organs and systems takes place.

Also, the risk of pathology is caused by the following: early sexual relationships, multiple sexual partners, abortions, hormonal disorders.

Symptoms

Since metaplasia of the cervix proceeds without any symptoms, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points.

First of all, the fact that the sexual intercourse has become painful should be alerted. This is due to the fact that the dysplastic epithelium begins to injure, and bloody discharge often occurs. In women at the age of the first symptoms are not expressed so much because of the processes taking place in the uterus before menopause. They start to think that this is a climax, and do not go to the doctor.

Symptoms of pathology occur with any provoking factor. For example, the disease can cause the presence of condyloma, erosion, infectious lesions. From the vagina begin to stand out whites, very abundant, curdled, milky, with a rather specific smell.

In any case, any changes in the body should alert the woman, especially when she is over 50 years old.

Forms

Metaplasia of the epithelium of the cervix can be different. To clarify the diagnosis and choose the right treatment, a smear is taken.

There are the following types of pathological conditions:

• Immature metaplasia of the cervix.
• Squamous cell metaplasia.
• Squamous cell metaplasia of the cervix with dyskaryosis.

In the first case, cells of small size with indistinct boundaries appear in the smear, which are located chaotically. Sometimes they are difficult to attribute to a specific kind of epithelium, because they do not have the characteristic features. Inside the cells, the cytoplasm is altered in violation of the structure of the structural elements.

Squamous cell metaplasia of the cervix with dyskaryosis is characterized by the presence of cells of a definite shape of the same size of sufficient size. The cytoplasm inside cells is not changed, and the structural elements are located correctly.

Squamous cell metaplasia of the cervix: what is it and what characteristics does it have? With this type of dysplasia, cells are normal, except for their location. Multilayered epithelium is located in the cervical canal. This pathology is benign.

Diagnostics

A woman must undergo a medical examination every year from a gynecologist, who must take a smear for histological examination and metaplasia. If you suspect a pathology, the woman is referred for additional research. This can be a colposcopy, which is a diagnosis of the cervix by a special device that gives a powerful increase. Thanks to this, the doctor can see those areas of metaplasia that are not visible during routine examination.

If the diagnosis remains in doubt, then a second histological examination is performed. For this, a colposcopy with a targeted aspiration biopsy is performed .

Treatment

If a diagnosis such as metaplasia of the cervix is made, treatment should be mandatory, as this precancerous condition can pass into a cancerous tumor. Depending on the condition of the epithelium, treatment can be conservative and operative.

Conservative treatment

If metaplasia has a viral origin, then in this case, drugs that have an antiviral effect are used. The main drugs are Panavir and Genferon, which suppress the activity of the virus and prevent it from multiplying.

If bacteria are found in the smear, then antibacterial therapy is carried out, which includes complex preparations: antibiotics, corticosteroids, antifungal agents. It can be the following medicines: Neotrizol and Terzhinan.

In addition, if squamous metaplasia of the cervix is detected, treatment may involve the use of vaginal anti-inflammatory suppositories. In some situations, a gynecologist may prescribe medications that enhance immunity.

Treatment in an operative way

When drug therapy failed, surgical treatment is performed. In this case, apply:

• Laser vaporization;
• Scraping of the cervical canal;
• Conical exposure;
• Electrocoagulation.

The choice of therapeutic methods is directly dependent on the technological capabilities of the hospital. In addition, the doctor in determining the method of surgical treatment should be guided by the size of the affected tissue.

Conclusion

Thus, metaplasia of the cervix is considered a very serious disease requiring timely treatment, as it can degenerate into a cancerous tumor. Women are obliged to undergo a preventive checkup every year, and in case of establishing such a diagnosis, do not delay with treatment.