C position debut - colposcope

In 2003, Hong Kong star Anita Mui died of cervical cancer, which greatly increased the public awareness of cervical cancer. Women are like flowers, and they need to be carefully cared for, and cervical cancer is the culprit that "ruthlessly destroys flowers".

As one of the common gynecological malignancies, the incidence of cervical cancer ranks second among female malignant tumors in my country, second only to breast cancer.

It is not enough to just know about cervical cancer. We need to fully understand and fight against it. Not ignoring it or being afraid of it is the key to caring for women's health. Early detection and early treatment are the key to curing cervical cancer. As long as you have a gynecological examination once a year, you may be able to stay away from the threat of this "second killer of women's health."

Colposcopy is one of the most important examinations.

Each of us has a pair of eyes to observe the world, and the eyes of our doctors use many mirrors to discover many secrets in the human body through the lens, thus helping doctors to easily solve many problems for patients. Among these mirrors, the laparoscope, the second gastroscope, and the third colonoscope are the most familiar to everyone. I am a colposcope. Although I rank low in the big family, I am the "favorite" of gynecologists. You must be very curious about how capable I am that doctors rely on me so much that I debuted in the C position of gynecology.

You may not know me well and think that I am a "newcomer" who has just made my debut. In fact, I was born as early as 1925, but I was immature at that time and my role was limited. After the unremitting efforts of doctors and scientists, I continued to grow. Until the 1960s, I was finally recognized by the public and became an effective means of evaluating cervical lesions. In recent years, with the development and progress of medicine, my professional ability has also achieved a qualitative leap, and finally played an important role in the diagnosis of gynecological diseases.

From my name, colposcope, you can guess what I do. Yes, I am a mirror for looking at the vagina. But I don’t just look at the vagina, nor am I just a mirror. In fact, in addition to the vagina, my more important job is to observe the condition of the cervix; my mirror can magnify what I see by 10-60 times, and it also has its own light source and filter, so that I can let the doctor clearly see the lesions, and can also see the tiny lesions on the cervical epidermis, blood vessels and vaginal wall.

So when do I need to show up?

1. Abnormalities found in cervical cancer screening (positive high-risk HPV or atypical squamous epithelial cells and above in cervical cytology);

2. Suspicious lesions such as "cauliflower-like" masses, ulcers, and severe erosions can be seen with the naked eye on the vaginal wall/cervix;

3. The results of acetic acid staining and compound iodine staining were positive when observed with naked eyes;

4. Vulvar/perianal lesions are seen with the naked eye and vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia or cancer is suspected;

5. Re-examination of the cervix that has undergone LEEP can evaluate the efficacy of the procedure and also help formulate the next diagnosis and treatment plan.

But I am not just any colposcopy specialist. If you want me to do an examination, you have to meet my conditions.

If you have acute vaginitis or cervicitis, you must cure the inflammation before coming for examination. Do not have sex, do vaginal washing or apply medicine within 24 hours before coming for examination. It is best to come for examination on the 7th to 10th day after the menstruation is over, but if you are really anxious, I can also check it for you, but it is not possible when the menstrual flow is the heaviest. It is not that I am not helping you to check it, but there is too much bleeding and I can't see it clearly.

After the examination, there may be a small amount of bleeding, which is normal because part of the tissue has been taken. If the amount of bleeding is a little larger, the doctor will insert gauze to stop the bleeding, and you can take it out yourself after 6 hours. If the bleeding continues, or the amount of bleeding becomes almost the same as the menstrual flow, you should see a doctor immediately. Don't be too nervous, but don't delay treatment carelessly. Also remember that it is best not to have sex, sit baths or vaginal douching within 2 weeks, otherwise it will affect the recovery of the wound and increase the risk of infection.

And don't be afraid, there is no pain during a colposcopy. Don't worry about the pain when you hear about a biopsy, and don't be unwilling to do the examination, which will delay diagnosis and treatment.

After listening to my self-introduction, I believe everyone has a preliminary understanding of me. Finally, I would like to remind you: "If you need me to appear, you need a professional with a certificate to work."

Note: There is no copyright issue for the pictures in this article

Author: Wang Ying, Yu Zhen, Liu Zhou from Zhoupu Hospital, Pudong New Area, Shanghai

Funded by Shanghai Science and Technology Commission's Science Popularization Project

(Project No.: 20DZ2311100)