In women who are over 50, doctors often diagnose a disease such as cervical metaplasia. This pathology is a precancerous condition and can have serious complications due to the wrong treatment tactics or its absence. Since the late diagnosis of metaplasia leads to the fact that normal cells turn into malignant, this pathology should be prevented at the initial stage. That is why all women during the annual scheduled examination conduct a screening examination for this pathology.
Causes of occurrence
In the first place among the probable causes of the pathology are infectious agents. Pathogens are both bacteria and viruses. The most common viral agent is human papilloma, often affecting the genitals of a woman. Such an infection can be asymptomatic for quite some time. Another possible agent is herpes, which has a fairly high oncogenicity.
Bacteria are less likely to cause a disease such as cervical metaplasia. Microorganisms such as toxoplasma, gonococci, ureaplasma, chlamydia penetrate the cells and remain there for a long time, while fighting off immune cells and supporting the focus of inflammation.
Risk factors
The following factors lead to the development of pathology:
- alcohol consumption;
- smoking;
- environmental impact;
- carcinogenic food.
These factors reduce the reactivity of the whole organism, resulting in the development of functional, and subsequently morphological changes in organs and systems.
The following points also cause a risk of pathology: early sexual intercourse, numerous sexual partners, abortions, hormonal disorders.
Symptoms
Since cervical metaplasia proceeds without any symptoms, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points.
First of all, it should be alarming that sexual intercourse has become painful. This happens due to the fact that dysplastic epithelium begins to be injured, and bloody discharge often occurs. In women aged, the first symptoms are not so pronounced due to processes occurring in the uterus before menopause. They begin to think that it is menopause, and do not go to the doctor.
Symptoms of pathology arise with any provoking factor. For example, a disease can cause the presence of genital warts, erosion, infectious lesions. Leucorrhoea, very plentiful, curdled, milky in color, with a rather specific smell, begins to stand out from the vagina.
In any case, any changes in the body should alert the woman, especially when she is more than 50 years old.
Forms
Metaplasia of the cervical epithelium can be different. To clarify the diagnosis and choose the right treatment, a smear is taken.
The following types of pathological conditions:
- Immature metaplasia of the cervix.
- Squamous cell metaplasia.
- Squamous metaplasia of the cervix with dyskariosis.
In the first case, small cells with fuzzy borders appear randomly in the smear. Sometimes they are difficult to attribute to a certain type of epithelium, because they do not have characteristic features. Inside the cells, the cytoplasm is altered with a violation of the structure of structural elements.
Squamous metaplasia of the cervix with dyskariosis is characterized by the presence of cells of a certain shape of the same size of sufficient size. The cytoplasm inside the cells is not changed, and the structural elements are located correctly.
Squamous metaplasia of the cervix uteri: what is it and what are its characteristics? With this type of dysplasia, the cells are normal, except for their location. The stratified epithelium is located in the cervical canal itself. Such a pathology is benign.
Diagnostics
Every year a woman should undergo a medical examination by a gynecologist, who must necessarily take a smear for histological examination and identification of metaplasia. If such a pathology is suspected, the woman is sent for additional research. This can be colposcopy, which is a diagnosis of the cervix with a special device that gives a powerful increase. Thanks to this, the doctor can see those areas of metaplasia that are not visible during a routine examination.
If the diagnosis remains in doubt, then carry out a second histological examination. For this, colposcopy is performed with targeted aspiration biopsy.
Treatment
If a diagnosis such as cervical metaplasia is made, treatment must be carried out without fail, since such a precancerous condition can pass into a cancerous tumor. Depending on the state of the epithelium, the treatment is conservative and surgical.
Conservative treatment
If metaplasia is of a viral origin, then drugs with an antiviral effect are used. The main drugs are Panavir and Genferon, which suppress the activity of the virus and prevent it from multiplying.
If bacteria are detected in the smear, then antibacterial therapy is carried out, which includes complex drugs: antibiotics, corticosteroids, antifungal agents. These may be the following drugs: Neotrizol and Terzhinan.
In addition, if squamous metaplasia of the cervix is detected, treatment may involve the use of vaginal anti-inflammatory suppositories. In some situations, the gynecologist may prescribe medications that increase immunity.
Surgical treatment
When drug therapy has failed, surgical treatment is performed. In this case, apply:
- laser vaporization ;
- curettage of the cervical canal;
- cone exposure;
- electrocoagulation.
The choice of treatment methods is directly dependent on the technological capabilities of the hospital. In addition, the doctor, when prescribing the method of surgical treatment, should focus on the size of the affected tissues.
Output
Thus, cervical metaplasia is considered a very serious disease that requires timely treatment, since it can degenerate into a cancerous tumor. Women are required to undergo a routine examination every year, and if such a diagnosis is established, do not delay the treatment.