Cervical Ectropion May Be a Cause of Desquamative Inflammatory Vaginitis

Abstract

Desquamative inflammatory vaginitis is a poorly understood chronic vaginitis with an unknown etiology. Symptoms of desquamative inflammatory vaginitis include copious yellowish discharge, vulvovaginal discomfort, and dyspareunia. Cervical ectropion, the presence of glandular columnar cells on the ectocervix, has not been reported as a cause of desquamative inflammatory vaginitis. Although cervical ectropion can be a normal clinical finding, it has been reported to cause leukorrhea, metrorrhagia, dyspareunia, and vulvovaginal irritation. Patients with cervical ectropion and desquamative inflammatory vaginitis are frequently misdiagnosed with candidiasis or bacterial vaginosis and repeatedly treated without resolution of symptoms. We report the case of a 34-year-old woman with a 4-year history of profuse yellowish discharge and dyspareunia. Upon presentation, her symptoms and laboratory results met the criteria for desquamative inflammatory vaginitis, but the standard treatments did not provide long-lasting relief. As a last resort, cryotherapy (cryosurgery) of her cervix was performed for treatment of her cervical ectropion, which provided complete resolution of her symptoms.Mitchell L, King M, Brillhart H, Goldstein A. Cervical Ectropion May Be a Cause of Desquamative Inflammatory Vaginitis. Sex Med 2017;5:e212–e214.

Real‑world study of Cerviron® vaginal ovules in the treatment of cervical lesions of various etiologies

“…Epithelialization of the vaginal mucus and cervix is crucial in the management of cervical erosions. Acute inflammation of the cervix as a result from direct infection or trauma translates into several symptoms, such as white to yellow vaginal discharge (predominant symptom caused by the mucus-secreting glandular epithelium), post-coital or intermenstrual bleeding, dysuria, pelvic pain, vulvovaginal irritation and dyspareunia ( 6 ). Symptomatic women should be screened for infective agents ( 7 ).…”

Efficacy of a Triticum vulgare Extract as a Treatment of Cervical Ectropion: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study

“…The goal of treating symptomatic ectropion is to destroy the glandular columnar epithelium, thereby inducing squamous metaplasia. Treatments include ablative therapies such as cryotherapy, electrocautery, laser ablation, microwave ablation, focused ultrasound, and cryosurgery 8 ; they are reported to achieve very high cure rates of up to 98%, 10 but should only be performed in cases of marked symptomatology, such as frequent spotting and marked leucorrhea 20 . This is because ablative treatment is not without side effects in the postoperative period, such as excessive leucorrhea, hemorrhage with the need for hospitalization, long time interval between surgery and final result, and 1% to 16% cases of cervical stenosis 2,21 .…”

“…Cervical ectopia, although often asymptomatic, can also be a potential risk factor for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and may be associated with various symptoms (profuse vaginal discharge, leucorrhea, postcoital bleeding, recurrent cervicitis, and dyspareunia) 6–8 …”

“…In fact, several lines of argument support ablative treatment such as cryotherapy, electrocautery, laser ablation, microwave ablation, focused ultrasound, and cryosurgery 8 . As they are not without side effects and not widely available, the development of local therapies for patients pending ablative treatment or as alternative to the latter would be extremely useful.…”

Investigating the Relationship between Cervical Erosion and Ectropion in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and the Relationship with Estrogen Levels in Compared to the Control Group

“…➢ Ectropion: Cervical ectropion is a benign condition seen in women of reproductive age. This disorder results in the deposition of cylindrical cells in the vaginal environment, also known as cervical ectopy, this condition is also known as cervical erosion, which is a misleading term because there is actually no cervical erosion [8]. It is a common disease among teenagers and pregnant women [9].…”