What are the causes of cervical cysts in women?

Cervical cysts, also known as Nathian gland cysts, are a very common gynecological disease. Generally, female patients with this disease will experience symptoms such as bleeding during sexual intercourse, and their vaginal secretions will increase. So what is the cause of cervical cysts?

Cervical cyst is a pathological manifestation of chronic cervicitis. The reason for its formation is similar to that of "acne" on the face. During the healing process of cervical erosion, the newly formed squamous epithelium covers the opening of the cervical gland duct or extends into the gland duct, blocking the opening of the gland duct. The hyperplasia of connective tissue or scar formation around the glandular duct compresses the glandular duct, causing it to narrow or even block it. The drainage of glandular secretions is obstructed and retained, forming a cyst called a cervical nabothian cyst. The cysts vary in size, but are generally small and scattered. It can appear alone or in multiples. In chronic cervicitis, the cervical glands and surrounding tissues proliferate. When the gland duct is squeezed by the surrounding tissue and the gland opening is blocked, the secretions in the gland cannot flow out and are retained inside, causing the gland cavity to expand and form cystic tumors of varying sizes, called "cervical gland retention cysts", also known as Nabot cysts. The mucus it contains is often clear but may be turbid and purulent due to concurrent infection. The cysts are usually small and scattered and may protrude from the surface of the cervix. The small ones are only the size of millet grains, and the large ones can be as big as corn kernels. They are bluish white in color and may be accompanied by erosion, but they are also common in cervix with smooth surface. Due to the long-term stimulation of chronic inflammation, the cervical tissue repeatedly becomes congested and edematous, inflammatory cells infiltrate and connective tissue proliferates, causing cervical hypertrophy. In severe cases, the cervix can increase by more than 1 times compared to a normal cervix. Severe inflammation can lead to menstrual abnormalities or even infertility.

It can occur in any part of the cervix. During gynecological examination, the speculum can only detect cysts located at the external os of the cervix, while B-ultrasound can display cysts in various parts of the cervix with a cyst detection rate of up to 100%. Therefore, B-ultrasound examination improves the clinical diagnosis rate and also provides convenience for clinical treatment.

With the development of ultrasonic diagnostic technology, the detection rate of cervical cysts has increased significantly. This article shows that the detection rate of cervical cysts gradually increases with age, especially in people over 50 years old, the incidence rate increases significantly. Cervical cyst is a common disease in gynecological ultrasound diagnosis.