Cervical erosion is a common gynecological disease. This is the name for damage to epithelial tissue localized in the vaginal part of the cervix. Usually this disease develops against the background of another disease - inflammatory or infectious, due to hormonal disorders. Often the course of the disease is asymptomatic and pathology can only be noticed during a routine examination. In itself, this disease does not pose a serious threat to health, but if left untreated, it is considered a risk factor for the development of tumors, including malignant ones. Diagnosis is quite simple - only a gynecological examination and colposcopy may be sufficient. Treatment is removal of the affected tissue.
At CELT you can get advice from a gynecologist.
- Initial consultation – 3,000
- Repeated consultation – 2,000
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What it is?
Erosion is a disease that is characterized by pathology of epithelial tissue. Cervical erosion occurs in every seventh woman and is one of the extremely common gynecological diseases. Flat epithelium, localized in the vaginal area of the cervix, should normally consist of homogeneous pale cells.
If an infectious process develops in the genital area, mechanical damage occurs, a constant inflammatory process is observed, then erosion appears. Without treatment, pathological changes continue to develop, epithelial cells change more rapidly, and there is a risk of the formation of polyps and tumors. In the long term, this leads to the appearance of tumors that are more difficult to treat.
Why is colposcopy necessary?
A definitive diagnosis of erosion can only be made with colposcopy. After treating the cervical surface with Lugol's solution, all existing defects become noticeable:
- With true erosion, a bright red area of desquamated epithelium is detected, on the surface of which the vessels are clearly visible.
- With pseudo-erosion, an area of replacement of healthy multilayered squamous epithelium with areas containing pathological glands, cysts, and unusual cells is visible.
- With ectropion, an inversion of the tissues of the cervical canal into the vagina is detected. The affected neck has a bright red eroded surface. Scar tissue changes are often observed.
For final diagnosis, a cytology smear is taken to find out what cells the modified area consists of. If a gynecologist discovers cancer cells, the disease moves from the category of erosions to oncological ones. This is why erosion is dangerous - without treatment it can increase, become infected and transform into uterine cancer.
Causes of the disease
There are many of them, as well as risk factors. Any changes in the mucous membrane of the cervix can lead to the development of erosion. Such changes occur in diseases of the genitourinary system, after childbirth, after artificial termination of pregnancy, and are observed during hormonal diseases. Often, sexually transmitted diseases lead to erosion - their pathogens enter the body through the mucous membrane, damaging the epithelial tissue.
There is no specific age category susceptible to this disease. Erosion can develop both in adolescence and in old age.
How does a doctor determine the treatment method?
Having carefully studied the patient’s condition, determined the degree of development and depth of erosion, and also identified its cause, the gynecologist, based on the data obtained, determines the method of treatment that can have the maximum impact on the leading factor that caused the disease.
If an infectious-inflammatory process is observed, the gynecologist will prescribe antibiotics. Traumatic erosion requires a different treatment method. In this case, doctors most often recommend removing the damaged part of the tissue using one of the modern methods. Various techniques are used to treat erosion, the choice of which depends on the equipment of the clinic, the type of erosion and the capabilities of the patient.
Today, instrumental methods for eliminating erosion, such as laser destruction, electrocoagulation, radio wave surgery and cryodestruction, are considered the most effective and safe.
All of the methods listed are either completely painless, for example, laser, or simply unpleasant (electrocoagulation). In any case, a good doctor will not allow the patient to experience pain, so there is no need to be afraid of these procedures. If the pain threshold is high, modern anesthesia is used to relieve pain.
Types of disease
Depending on when and by what mechanism the disease develops, there are several main types of erosion:
- True.
- Pseudo-erosion.
- Congenital.
They differ in causes and mechanisms of development, as well as in the course of the disease.
Signs of true erosion:
- It is formed due to damage to the epithelial tissue in the area of the external os - this is the place where the vaginal part of the cervix is directly connected to the vagina.
- Inflammation occurs and damaged tissues bleed.
- Often develops against the background of endocervicitis. A disease that leads to the release of pathological mucus from the cervical canal, which irritates the tissue of the cervix.
- Damaged tissues are brightly colored and turn red.
- Colposcopy is usually sufficient for diagnosis; microscopy of pathological tissue may be required for final confirmation.
Pseudo-erosion is the next phase into which true erosion passes. The true one heals within two weeks, during this process the flat epithelium is replaced by cylindrical epithelium - that is, tissue replacement occurs. New cells are more saturated in color. Most erosions are diagnosed at this stage - at the first stage of healing.
However, during the healing stage, the pathology continues to develop: normal tissue is not formed. The columnar epithelium grows, and it grows not only on the surface, but also in depth. As a result, cysts are formed filled with glandular secretions. If many cysts develop, then the disease during visual examination can be confused with polyposis. If the cysts are large, then cervical hypertrophy develops - it increases in size. Cysts can be different, both in size and shape, and in content.
If left untreated, the pathology remains in this form for several months or even years. Cysts can grow or, conversely, not grow. Pseudo-erosion is a constant source of inflammation, which causes unpleasant symptoms to develop.
The inflammation may subside on its own, in which case the process of normal tissue growth will begin. This occurs rarely, so in most cases special treatment is required. After eliminating the inflammatory process, the second stage of healing begins: the formation of squamous epithelium. The danger is that with prolonged absence of therapy, erosion can develop into dysplasia, which is considered a precancerous condition.
Another type of this disease is congenital erosion of the cervix, which develops during embryonic development. As a rule, such pathology is detected quite early, in childhood or adolescence. Often congenital erosion goes away on its own. This is a harmless form, as it does not lead to the formation of malignant tumors.
Is it necessary to treat erosion?
Timely treatment of erosion allows you to avoid the development of serious infectious and inflammatory processes, since the pathological area of tissue is an open gate for various pathogens. In addition, long-term untreated erosion may be accompanied by bleeding and the appearance of uncharacteristic vaginal discharge, which complicates sexual activity and causes discomfort in the woman.
An even greater danger is the degeneration of eroded tissues into cancerous ones. This, alas, also happens not so rarely.
Diagnostics
Diagnostics includes examination, instrumental methods and laboratory tests. Diagnosis is often delayed due to the fact that in the absence of pronounced symptoms, patients simply do not consult a doctor. If there are symptoms, they are usually associated with the disease that provoked the development of erosion. Thus, the disease can be detected in a timely manner only by undergoing preventive examinations. A standard visual examination of the cervix allows the gynecologist to suspect the development of erosion, and colposcopy is used to confirm the diagnosis - this method allows one to examine pathological tissues under magnification.
If the doctor suspects that the process of development of malignant tumors has already begun, then a study such as extended colposcopy is used. First, the affected area is treated with an iodide solution, and then examined under magnification. If dysplasia is suspected, a biopsy may be required for histological analysis in the laboratory.
Signs and symptoms of cervical erosion
In most cases, the pathology does not have pronounced symptoms and is diagnosed during a gynecological examination. Rarely do women seek help themselves due to minor bleeding not related to menstruation.
Clinical manifestations:
- nagging pain in the lower abdomen;
- erosion bleeds after sex;
- pain during intercourse;
- burning, itching;
- leucorrhoea
The general condition of the woman remains unchanged.
Treatment
Radical treatment is predominantly surgical. But there are situations in which dynamic observation and conservative therapy are preferable.
Basic principles of treatment:
- For congenital pathology, observation is preferable. Removal is required if the pathology develops or symptoms that are unpleasant for the patient are present.
- True and pseudo-erosions require correction of the underlying disease. If, along with the cure of the primary disease, regression of erosion does not occur, then removal is prescribed.
- If there are signs of infectious inflammation, the pathogens are first eliminated (most often these are microorganisms that cause the development of sexually transmitted diseases).
- If the erosion is in the active stage (true), then surgery is not indicated. Gentle treatment methods are used, aimed primarily at eliminating unpleasant symptoms.
Surgical treatment using modern means is aimed at destroying the layer of cylindrical cells. After this, rejection occurs, and the growth of normal squamous epithelium begins at the site of the pathology.
Basic surgical methods:
- thermocoagulation
Thermocoagulation is a method that is based on cauterization under the influence of current. The disadvantage of this method is the possibility of scar formation. For this reason, thermocoagulation is offered only to patients who do not plan to have children in the future. Complete healing takes up to three months.
- use of laser
Laser cauterization requires careful sanitation. This method is painless and leaves no scars. Complete regeneration takes four weeks.
- Radio wave destruction of erosion is performed using special equipment and has advantages over standard electrocoagulation in the form of healing without scar formation.
- cryodestruction
- Cryodestruction (cryocoagulation)
Cryocoagulation is destruction by cold using liquid nitrogen.
When prescribing surgical treatment, a study is required to exclude the development of oncology. And if the process of development of a malignant tumor has already begun, removal can provoke tumor growth.
Prevention consists of timely treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases, as well as regular visits to the gynecologist and preventive examinations. Erosion can be detected during a routine examination by a gynecologist, and treatment should begin as early as possible.
In the multidisciplinary CELT clinic, you can undergo a complete diagnosis, after which the doctor will develop a treatment regimen, if necessary. It’s easy to be healthy – together with attentive doctors and modern treatment methods.
Types and causes of erosion formation
This group of diseases combines several different processes, but they all relate to changes in the upper layers of the cervix.
- True erosion.
Appears as a result of mechanical damage to the cervix during unsuccessful medical procedures or due to erosion of the mucous membrane by pathological secretions - they often have high acidity. The eroded area visually represents a wound with a bleeding surface. - Pseudo-erosion (ectopia)
. With pseudo-erosion, the squamous cervical epithelium (the normal shape of the covering cells) is replaced by a cylindrical one. Cylindrical cells do not perform a protective function, therefore they are foreign and dangerous to the organ. Without treatment, pathological cells grow and penetrate deep into healthy tissues. - Ectropion
. This is the internal portion of the cervix that protrudes outward (outside the cervical canal). Formed when tissue is damaged or may be a congenital pathology. In this case, everything happens the other way around: the inner layer of cylindrical cells, appearing on top, enters the vaginal environment, which is unusual for it (for example, when the cervix is dissected), is destroyed, replaced by multilayered squamous epithelium (the delicate skin becomes coarser).
Pseudo-erosion, in turn, can be:
- Papillary
- having papillary growths; - Follicular (glandular)
- the glands of the uterus grow in the lesion, due to their excessive elongation, cavities are formed - cysts; - Metaplastic
- having areas of replacement of one type of epithelium by another. For example, with the so-called atypical degeneration, the surface of the eroded area is mosaic, consisting of normal cells, altered vessels and glands. - Mixed
, combining signs of several forms of the disease.
The gynecologist determines exactly what type of erosion the patient has using extended colposcopy.
Our services
The administration of CELT JSC regularly updates the price list posted on the clinic’s website. However, in order to avoid possible misunderstandings, we ask you to clarify the cost of services by phone: +7
| Service name | Price in rubles |
| Colposcopy | 1 800 |
| Taking a biopsy for diseases of the cervix using radiosurgery (excluding the cost of histological examination) | 5 000 |
| Coagulation using radiosurgery in the treatment of cervical diseases | 3 000 |
| Coagulation using radiosurgery in the treatment of cervical diseases with simultaneous biopsy taking (excluding the cost of histological examination) | 7 500 |
| Appointment with a surgical doctor (primary, for complex programs) | 3 000 |
All services
Make an appointment through the application or by calling +7 +7 We work every day:
- Monday—Friday: 8.00—20.00
- Saturday: 8.00–18.00
- Sunday is a day off
The nearest metro and MCC stations to the clinic:
- Highway of Enthusiasts or Perovo
- Partisan
- Enthusiast Highway
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