Cervical polyp

Cervical polyps are protrusions that form on the cervix due to the growth of the mucous membrane.

The term "cervical polyp" refers to focal proliferation of the endocervix, in which tree-like outgrowths of connective tissue covered by columnar epithelium protrude into the lumen of the cervical canal or beyond.

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Causes cervical polyp

Cervical polyps occur due to hormonal changes in a woman's body, when a lot of estrogen is produced, mechanical injuries to the cervix and untreated erosions, multiple abortions or thyroid dysfunction, decreased immunity, stress, difficult childbirth, syphilis, HPV, uterine fibroids and other diseases of the genitals, genetic predisposition, diabetes, nervous tension. Such a polyp can be seen during a routine examination with a mirror.

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Pathogenesis

Macroscopically, polyps are small structures (2 to 40 mm in diameter), oval or round, with a smooth surface, hanging into the vagina on a thin base. As a rule, polyps are dark pink, which is due to the translucence of the vessels through the integumentary cylindrical epithelium; the consistency of the polyps is determined by the content of fibrous tissue.

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Symptoms cervical polyp

Cervical polyps may occur with or without certain symptoms. You should be alerted by bloody discharge after sex, bloody discharge from the vagina before or after menstruation, mucous discharge that is disturbing and abundant, pulling pain in the lower abdomen and pelvic pain.

Why is a cervical polyp dangerous?

Cervical polyps are one of the symptoms of hormonal imbalance. They are more common in 40-45 years. In 2% of cases, polyps can degenerate into a cancerous tumor. If you have had a cervical polyp removed, follow these recommendations: do not have sex for 2 weeks, use pads, not tampons, for the same period, do not douche, take only a shower, not a bath, if you have a fever or abdominal pain after removal, consult a doctor.

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Glandular polyp of the cervix

Glandular polyps of the cervix are more common in women of childbearing age. A glandular polyp is a small formation on a stalk, always benign, not degenerating into cancer. Their size is rarely more than 2 cm. You can suspect a glandular polyp of the cervix by unpleasant yellowish discharge, bloody discharge in the middle of the menstrual cycle, painful and irregular menstruation, infertility and pain during sex. To detect a glandular polyp of the cervix, a routine examination is carried out in a chair, sometimes an ultrasound is done or a smear is taken to exclude a malignant process. Treatment of a glandular polyp is usually surgical. It is removed with forceps or curettage is performed - i.e., gynecological scraping. After removing the polyp, you need to regularly see a gynecologist, they can relapse. An alternative to surgical treatment of a polyp may be cryodestruction or hormonal treatment, but these methods do not always give the desired result, so more often the polyp has to be removed. Modern methods of their removal are usually minimally invasive, which is especially important for women who have not given birth.

Fibrous polyp of the cervix

Fibrous polyps grow from connective tissue. A fibrous polyp is a source of infection and a cause of bleeding. Its color is pink or red. After removal, the polyp is sent to the laboratory for histological examination for malignancy. A fibrous polyp is removed by enucleation.

A fibrous polyp can result in infertility. But they are quite rare in young women. The leading cause of polyp formation is hormonal changes, adnexitis, trauma, erosion, immune disorders, and myoma. They are often found accidentally in a gynecological chair. Leucorrhoea, slight bloody discharge, pain during intercourse, and pain in the lower abdomen may be observed.

Cervical polyp during pregnancy

What to do if you are diagnosed with cervical polyps during pregnancy? Do not panic, such polyps usually disappear immediately after childbirth. They do not interfere with the course of pregnancy and delivery in any way. If pregnancy occurs with an existing polyp, then it is carried to term and the polyp is removed after childbirth. Bloody discharge associated with the polyp is possible, for example, after sexual intercourse. Sometimes inflammation occurs. In this case, the doctor at the antenatal clinic selects treatment for you. During pregnancy, existing polyps grow and become more intensely red.

Forms

By histological structure	By morphological type
Ferrous	Simple
Glandular-fibrous	Proliferating
Fibrous	Epidermizing

Epidermization of polyps by multilayered flat epithelium is carried out according to the principle of squamous cell metaplasia, the trigger factor of which is considered to be high estrogen saturation.

Cervical polyps can be multiple, their base is represented by a thin or wide connective tissue “leg”.

Complications and consequences

Cervical polyps can cause bleeding in women and pain during sex, painful periods. They need to be treated, because they can degenerate into cancer. Since periods are heavy with polyps, anemia, weakness and apathy may occur. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion of a cervical polyp, you need to undergo an examination in the chair, do a colposcopy or diagnostic curettage. If you have a polyp, most likely you may have other gynecological diseases, such as fibroids or problems with the ovaries. These phenomena often occur together. Self-treatment of cervical polyps with folk remedies is prohibited. Only after consulting a doctor can you be sure that you have chosen the right tactics. Most likely, when a cervical polyp is detected, the doctor will offer you to remove it.

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Diagnostics cervical polyp

Cervical polyps are usually easy to detect during an examination. But sometimes a colposcopy, cervicoscopy, hysteroscopy, diagnostic curettage or ultrasound of the pelvic organs is needed. Smears are also taken for flora to rule out infection. A general blood and urine test may be needed. Since polyps are often hormonal in nature, it is necessary to take a blood test for hormones.

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Cervical polyp biopsy

A biopsy of a cervical polyp is performed for diagnostic purposes – the doctor wants to know whether the formation is benign or has already begun to degenerate into a cancerous tumor. A biopsy is an important but rather unpleasant procedure. The areas for biopsy are captured with tweezers and excised in the form of a cone. Then stitches are applied. The biopsy is performed on the 10th day of the menstrual cycle. By the beginning of the new cycle, the area affected when taking the sample has completely healed. A small amount of blood may be observed for about 10 days.

A cervical biopsy can be performed during pregnancy. There are no pain receptors in the cervix, so there can be no severe pain. A biopsy should be performed by an experienced gynecologist. It will help prevent cervical cancer, dear women. Today, this is one of the most common gynecological diseases, which has become much younger. And cervical polyps are considered a precancerous condition.

A biopsy can be performed using a knife or a loop. If there is significant bleeding after a biopsy, the vagina is tamponed. Diagnostic curettage can also be performed together with a biopsy. It is usually avoided in women who have not given birth.

Indications for curettage: myoma, cervical dysplasia, cervical polyps, cervical cancer. The patient stays in the ward for about 5 hours and then goes home. Curettage, unlike biopsy, requires local or general anesthesia. Sometimes adhesions may appear after curettage, but this is a very rare occurrence, and in any case, the benefit of this procedure outweighs the harm, if there are indications.

After curettage, do not bathe in the bathtub or in ponds until complete healing, only take a shower. Sex is prohibited for 4 weeks after the procedure. If you experience pain in the lower abdomen, or your temperature rises, go to see the doctor who performed the curettage!

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Treatment cervical polyp

Cervical polyps can be treated with medication, folk remedies or surgery. Without treatment, a polyp is a source of infection, it prevents pregnancy, disrupts the menstrual cycle, and causes pain. If surgery is indicated for you, then after it, as a rule, you need to take hormonal drugs to avoid relapse. If you have a polyp, you should not sunbathe much.

Before the polyp removal surgery, you will need to take the following tests: general blood test, sugar test, chlamydia and mycoplasma, ureaplasma, trichomonas, cervical smear. It is better to remove the polyp with its simultaneous coagulation. There is modern equipment for this procedure, for example, the Surgitron radio wave device. You can also twist the leg with forceps, and then freeze this area with liquid nitrogen or use a laser.

Unfortunately, today polyps are found even in teenage girls, although it was previously believed that they mainly affected mature women who had already given birth. Therefore, it is important to plan pregnancy and take care of polyp treatment in advance. Always treat any menstrual cycle disorders to prevent polyps from occurring. Fighting excess weight and controlling blood glucose levels play a significant role. Diabetic patients suffer from cervical polyps much more often, as their hormonal regulation is impaired.

After surgery to remove a polyp, the doctor prescribes antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and vitamins.

Cervical polyp removal

Refusal to remove a cervical polyp can lead to infertility. The most common method of removal is hysteroscopy, during which the doctor determines the location of the polyp and, under the control of a video camera, inserts scissors and forceps into the cervical canal, after which he unscrews or enucleates the polyp. After removal, such a complication as perforation of the cervix or inflammation is possible, but this is extremely rare. A cervical polyp, as a rule, requires hospitalization for a day. Before hospitalization, you need to be examined for thrush and STIs. The polyp is sent for histological examination after removal. This helps prevent cancer.

It is possible to remove a polyp with a laser completely painlessly and without blood, but it is expensive. This method is ideal for those who have not given birth. Healing occurs very quickly.

Doctors are most often forced to perform complete curettage if a relapse has occurred. This method is the most painful and requires local or general anesthesia.

In any case, you will have to limit physical activity for 2 weeks after the operation. You also cannot go to a solarium during this period.

Methods of removing cervical polyps

After you have treated all sexually transmitted infections and taken blood and urine tests, you need to decide which method you will use to solve your problem. Methods for removing cervical polyps:

1. Radio wave method.
2. Cryodestruction.
3. Laser removal.
4. Hysteroscopy.

In the classic version of removal - hysteroscopy - after exposing the cervix with speculums, the polyp is grasped with a clamp and, if it is on a stalk, it is unscrewed. After this, the canal is scraped, removing the stalk of the polyp.

In women who have already given birth, if the polyp recurs, the cervix is removed.

After removing the polyp by any method, antibiotics are prescribed for 10 days. Dynamic observation by a gynecologist is necessary to possibly prevent a relapse. It is forbidden to bathe in the bathtub and ponds for 2 weeks, you can only take a shower. You cannot go to the pool. Limit physical and mental stress.

Laser removal

The method of removing cervical polyps is the most progressive and has a number of advantages. It is possible to use laser beams of different intensities. The doctor monitors everything he does with a video camera. The tissues are removed layer by layer, the surrounding tissues are not injured. Blood loss is minimal, and after a few days you can have sex. The method is ideal for those who have not given birth. There are no scars on the cervix. The wound does not become infected, the laser protects it. After removing the polyp, you cannot take Aspirin or douche for several days.

Treatment with celandine

Celandine for the treatment of cervical polyps can be taken internally or used for douching. Fill a jar with fresh flowers of the plant and pour boiling water over it. It is necessary to infuse the celandine for 12 hours under a closed lid. Drink the infusion 3 times a day. You need to start with a tablespoon, gradually increasing the single dose to 100 mg. You need to treat uterine polyps for two weeks, and after 1 cycle, repeat the course again.

Suppositories for cervical polyps

Cervical polyps are successfully treated with Chistobolin suppositories. They contain hemlock. They have an anti-edematous and resorptive effect. 1 suppository should be inserted deep into the vagina once a day. Suppositories should not be used during pregnancy. Hemlock helps prevent polyp relapse and its degeneration into cancer. Suppositories can also be used for complex therapy of uterine fibroids, mastopathy. Often these diseases occur together with cervical polyps.

Prevention

Cervical polyps are difficult to prevent. It is enough to simply undergo preventive examinations. If there are inflammatory diseases and STDs, they must be treated in a timely manner. Unfortunately, polyps can occur at any age.

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Forecast

Cervical polyps have a certain, no more than 10%, tendency to recur, and some of their types have a tendency to degenerate into cancer.

Always take care of your female health, and cervical polyps will threaten you much less than those who do not take care of their health - take responsibility for your life, now this problem is quite easy to solve.