This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Cervical erosion

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

This describes the situation in which columnar epithelium, continuous with that of the cervical canal, replaces the stratified squamous epithelium that normally covers the vaginal portion of the cervix.

Erosions (also commonly known as cervical ectropions) are thought to be oestrogen dependent as they:

  • frequently develop in women taking combined oral contraceptives pills and resolve when the pill is stopped
  • frequently develop during pregnancy and resolve after delivery

The exposed columnar epithelium is susceptible to trauma and contact bleeding during intercourse or examination.

Women with cervical ectopy may present with increased mucopurulent vaginal discharge and postcoital bleeding, or may be asymptomatic.

Reference

  1. Tarney CM, Han J. Postcoital bleeding: a review on etiology, diagnosis, and management. Obstet Gynecol Int. 2014;2014:192087.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.