Cervical Ectopy

Ectopia (synovial pseudo-erosion, glandular erosion, endocervicosis) is a part of the vaginal part of the cervix, covered with a single-layered cylindrical epithelium.

Macroscopically, the ectopia has a bright red color, a granular surface; the form and magnitude of ectopy varies depending on the severity of the pathological process.

[1], [2], [3]

Epidemiology

The prevalence of cervical ectopy in women of reproductive age ranges from 14 to 37%.

[4], [5], [6], [7], [8]

Causes of the cervical ectopy

Ectopia of the cervix can have a different etiology and manifest itself in several morphological forms. In most cases this is a normal physiological process.

Post-traumatic ectopy occurs after complications of labor or abortion; congenital, or physiological ectopy is associated with the physiological features of the localization of the joint (boundary) between the flat and cylindrical epithelium in newborns, girls and young girls - outside of the outer throat. In the older age, ectopia is a consequence of hormonal disorders.

[9], [10], [11]

Symptoms of the cervical ectopy

This pathology is accompanied by abnormal and / or abundant discharges from the vagina, minor bleeding.

[12]

Forms

By etiological signs	On the morphological structure
Congenital	Simple
Dyshormonal	Proliferating
Post-traumatic	Epidermisable

A simple form of ectopy is characterized by the absence of signs of increased proliferation in the cells of the cylindrical epithelium; for the proliferating forms of endocervicoses, the neoplasm of the glandular structures is typical, which indicates the progression of the pathological process; Epidermis (healing) ectopia is distinguished by the appearance in the zone of location of the cylindrical epithelium of the islands of multilayered planar epithelium.

Epidemia of ectopy is carried out:

1. squamous cell metaplasia of reserve cells;
2. directly growing from the edges of multilayered planar epithelium.

As a rule, the replacement of single-layered cylindrical epithelium by a flat multilayered one has a benign character. However, with prolonged epidermal processes under the influence of adverse factors, atypical changes of metaplastic flat epithelium can be formed up to the development of cervical cancer.

[13], [14], [15]

Treatment of the cervical ectopy

Ectopia of the cervix is treated with various methods:

• Electrocoagulation.
• Cryodestruction.
• Microwave coagulation.
• Laser cauterization.