Cervical Erosion

Erosion, Cervical 

a defect in the epithelium covering the vaginal portion of the cervix. It is usually caused by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the cervical canal or, less frequently, of the vagina.

Irritation by cervical leukorrhea results in maceration and scaling of the epithelium with the formation of small superficial ulcers, bright red in color, that bleed when touched (true erosion). Seven to ten days later, columnar epithelium growing out of the cervical canal gradually covers the ulcerous surface; the resulting “pseudoerosion” may persist, with recurrences, for many years. Cervical erosion is usually accompanied by mucopurulent or, less commonly, bloody discharges, but the condition may also develop asymptomatically; it is diagnosed on the basis of gynecological examination. Recurrent cervical erosion with prolonged bleeding is regarded as a precancerous condition.

Cervical erosion is treated in its early stage by the application of ointment tampons. Electrocoagulation is used in the case of pseudoerosion after careful inspection, including examination of the cervix by speculum and biopsy. Prophylactic measures aim at the prevention of inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs and prevention of abortions, especially criminal ones.

REFERENCE

Braude, J. L., M. S. Malinovskii, and A. I. Serebrov. Neoperativnaia ginekologiia: Rukovodstvo dlia vrachei. Moscow, 1957.

A. P. KIRIUSHCHENKOV