Cervical columnar epithelium ectopic pictures

Cervical erosion used to be a disease that confused many women. If you go for a routine physical examination, you will most likely be diagnosed with cervical erosion. In 2008, the 7th edition of the undergraduate textbook "Obstetrics and Gynecology" removed the disease name "cervical erosion" and replaced it with the physiological phenomenon of "cervical columnar epithelial cell disorder". Cervical erosion, after all, is actually a misunderstanding of the normal performance of the cervix.

Detailed description of cervical columnar epithelial cell disorder

A cross-sectional view of the uterus and vagina at the junction of the body. If a gynecological examination is performed, the doctor can see the yellowish part of the female vagina, which is the shape of the cervix (Figure 3). There are two different types of cells in the cervix, as shown in Figure 2: those close to the vagina are squamous epithelial cells, and those close to the uterus are columnar squamous epithelial cells. The two types of epithelial cells differ in appearance (Figure 3), which is the appearance of the cervix seen during a gynecological examination. The part in the middle that looks a bit like "eroded" cervix is ​​the part covered by columnar epithelial cells, while the relatively smooth cervix on both sides is the part of the cervix covered by squamous epithelial cells. Columnar squamous epithelial cells and squamous epithelial cells are in a dynamic balance, a bit like a confrontation zone in a fight. This area is medically named the "squamocolumnar junction area", which is also a common area for cervical cancer (there is no definite correlation between cervical cancer and cervical erosion, which will be explained below).

The squamocolumnar junction area is very susceptible to the influence of estrogen. Before puberty, women's ovaries are not fully developed, estrogen levels are not high, and the columnar epithelial cells are closer to the inside. After menstruation, the columnar epithelial cells are affected by estrogen and tend to grow more to the sides. Therefore, there will be more "eroded" columnar epithelial cells found during cervical examination. After menopause, women's estrogen levels decrease, and the columnar epithelial cells begin to move inwards. At this time, the "erosion" will no longer be seen during examination. Therefore, in essence, the so-called cervical erosion is actually the outward curling of columnar epithelial cells.

Histological structure of the cervix

In the past medical textbooks, there was also a so-called measurement range for cervical erosion, called mild, mild-moderate and severe. It was believed that the size of the range represented the mild and severe degree of inflammation. Area less than 1/3 was mild, 1/3-2/3 was mild-moderate, and more than 2/3 was severe. If you understand the true mechanism of the so-called "cervical erosion" mentioned above, it is very easy to understand that it is actually a normal physiological phenomenon due to the different degrees of outward curling of the columnar epithelial cells affected by estrogen.

Normal cervical appearance

Clinical symptoms of cervical columnar epithelial cell disorder

Cervical columnar epithelial cell disorder is a normal physiological phenomenon and has no special clinical symptoms. Some people may experience irregular bleeding, but it is just an individual difference in the cervix, just like some people will bleed from their teeth or mouth when they chew something hard.

If there is a lot of vaginal discharge, it turns yellow and has a strong odor, it is a sign of cervical inflammation. The cyst and hypertrophy of the cervix are also the result of cervical inflammation.

Treatment of cervical columnar epithelial cell disorder

Cervical columnar epithelial cell disorder does not require any treatment. Many of the current methods for treating cervical erosion are incorrect. However, for symptomatic cervicitis, treatment is necessary. Inflammatory reactions are treated with suppositories, and physical treatments such as laser or cooling can be used to treat inflammation.