Cervical dysplasia
Cervical dysplasia is a precancerous change in the cells forming the inner layer of the cervix, the opening of the uterine cavity.
These changes are detected by microscopic analysis of cell samples taken from the cervix during a routine pelvic exam, such as a Pap smear.
Squamous intraepithelial lesion is a term used in pathology to refer to cervical dysplasia seen in a smear of cells taken from the mother’s cervix.
Squamous cell in view of the type of cells forming the mucous membrane of the cervix. And intraepithelial, since these cells form the mucous membrane of the cervix.
When cervical dysplasia is found on tissue biopsy, it is then referred to ascervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
What are the symptoms?
Precancerous cell changes are usually not associated with any characteristic symptoms. That is why regular pelvic examination and once a year pap smear are recommended.
What are the causes?
Cervical dysplasia is caused by infection with the human papillomavirus /HPV/, which is the causative agent of one of the most common sexually transmitted viral diseases.
In fact, it is estimated that over 75% of sexually active women contract this virus at some point in their lives.
Most new HPV infections appear in young women, between the ages of 15 and 25. Fortunately, most of them do not cause any symptoms and resolve spontaneously.
But in some cases, HPV infections persist and do not resolve on their own, but the reason for this is not clear.
Chronic viral infection can lead to the development of genital warts, precancerous changes /cervical dysplasia/, as well as cervical cancer.
But not all women who have HPV infection develop malignancies, suggesting that other factors are necessary.
Some types of HPV usually cause the appearance of genital warts or mild dysplasia, these are the so-called low-risk types HPV-6, HPV-11.
While the other types, known as high-risk strains HPV-16, HPV-18, cause the development of severe dysplasia and cervical cancer.
Since HPV infections are primarily transmitted through sexual contact, the risk of infection increases with the number of sexual partners a woman has.
Smoking and immune system suppression are also known to increase the risk of HPV-induced cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer.
Treatment of Cervical Dysplasia
Most women with mild first degree dysplasia /CIN I/ undergo spontaneous regression without treatment.
Therefore, in such cases observation is recommended without application of specific treatment.
Also, when the diagnosis is the same in each examination and the affected areas of the cervix do not change in size. Surgical treatment is suitable for women with cervical dysplasia grade 3.
Prevention
The Gardasil vaccine is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in males and females between the ages of 9 and 26 years.
This vaccine has been shown to be safe and 100% effective in preventing infection with the 4 most common strains of the HPV virus /6, 11, 16 and 18/ in women who have not been previously exposed to the virus.
But it is weakly effective in women who have already been infected with the virus and does not provide protection against all strains of the HPV virus.
