Is cervical erosion a disease? Do you want treatment?

In the past, cervical erosion has always been considered a gynecological disease, but now this statement has quietly changed. Many studies have pointed out that cervical erosion is not a disease, and even if cervical erosion is detected, it does not require treatment. So is this statement reliable? Is cervical erosion a disease?

Cervical erosion is no longer a disease

In the United States, if you say cervical erosion, no one will understand what you mean? In China, although the 7th edition of the "Obstetrics and Gynecology" textbook published in 2008 has cancelled the disease name "cervical erosion" and replaced it with the physiological phenomenon of "cervical columnar epithelium ectopia".

So what is cervical columnar epithelium ectopia? The female cervical epithelium is composed of the squamous epithelium of the cervical vaginal part and the columnar epithelium of the endocervical canal. During the fetal period, the squamous epithelium originating from the urogenital sinus grows upward to the external cervical os and becomes adjacent to the columnar epithelium of the cervical canal, forming a primitive squamous-columnar junction. After female puberty, the cervix grows and enlarges under the action of estrogen, and the columnar epithelium of the endocervical canal and the stromal components beneath it reach the cervical vaginal part, causing the original squamous-columnar junction to move outward. The inner side of the original squamous-columnar junction is covered with a thin single-layer columnar epithelium of the endocervical canal, and the underlying stroma is red and granular in appearance, which is called columnar epithelial ectopia. Because it looks like erosion when observed with the naked eye, it was called "cervical erosion" in the past, but it is not actually true erosion.

Cervical health cannot be judged by naked eye observation

Simple cervical columnar epithelium ectopia is a physiological phenomenon. The degree of ectopia has no direct relationship with cervical cancer and does not require treatment. There is currently a phenomenon of over-treatment of the so-called "cervical erosion". In addition to some misleading information, this phenomenon is also related to women's lack of medical knowledge. Some women mistakenly believe that a smooth cervix is ​​healthy. The female cervix is ​​connected to the outside world and can be seen through a speculum examination, but whether the cervix is ​​diseased cannot be diagnosed by naked eye observation. "It is inaccurate to make a diagnosis by simply observing the cervix with the naked eye. A smooth cervix can also lead to cervical cancer. Such cases are not uncommon."

If you suspect that there is a problem with your cervix, you can go to the hospital for relevant examinations. Normal women should undergo cytopathology and virus tests every 1 to 2 years. If there is a problem, they can undergo colposcopy and histopathology examination.

“Erosion” is not a precursor to cervical cancer

There has always been a saying that "cervical erosion" is a precursor to cervical cancer. The two cannot be compared, and they are not causally related. Medically speaking, persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main cause of cervical cancer. However, high-risk HPV infection does not necessarily lead to cervical cancer, as it can be automatically cleared by the body's own immunity. On the contrary, 99% of cervical cancer patients are infected with high-risk HPV.

Cervical erosion does not require special treatment

According to current medical concepts, "cervical erosion" is only a symptomatic description, not a clinical diagnosis. What doctors have to do is to judge based on this symptom whether it is related to cervical lesions or is simply caused by hormonal changes.

For the latter, the doctor will make a judgment by asking about the menstrual cycle and no treatment is needed. If it is the former, a cervical cytology examination is needed to check for inflammation, precancerous lesions, etc. If problems are found, a histological diagnosis will be performed to confirm the severity of the problem.

At the same time, virological testing for HPV is also necessary. If it is just caused by inflammation, there is no need to make a fuss, because just like rhinitis and pharyngitis, occasional inflammation of the cervix is ​​a normal thing. Just treat some special discomfort symptoms symptomatically.