Colposcopy of the cervix

Colposcopy is a procedure in the field of gynecology, which is performed for the purpose of a medical examination of not only the cervix, but also the vagina and vulva of the patient. It is carried out using a special device called a colposcope. It is equipped with optics and lighting elements.

What is colposcopy?
Purpose of colposcopy
Preparation for the procedure
Step-by-step description of the procedure
Cervical colposcopy results
Measures after colposcopy and biopsy
Colposcopy during pregnancy

What is colposcopy?

This procedure is prescribed by the attending physician if we are talking about any pathologies of the female organs that are discovered during the examination. Colposcopy is also recommended in case of poor results of cytological examination.

But there are situations when there are no symptoms, and you can use a colposcope to find oncology. This means that manifestations of the disease that cannot yet be detected using cytology can already be detected using colposcopy. This method is of great importance for diagnosing the early stages of cancer and avoiding complications of the disease, because treatment will be started on time.

It is advisable to do colposcopy for those who are registered at the antenatal clinic for endometrial processes, uterine fibroids, etc. It is even more advisable to undergo examination once a year, even if the symptoms do not bother you. This is the best prevention of oncology, inflammatory and other diseases.

Abroad, cervical colposcopy is performed on women every 12 months. A smear for cytological examination is taken every five years due to the higher cost of the procedure. Examination with a colposcope allows you to find formations and take material for a biopsy. In the laboratory, doctors will examine the material to understand the nature of this formation.

What is the procedure

Colposcopy is an examination of the vaginal cavity and the tissue of the cervix using a colposcope. The procedure allows you to identify cancerous and precancerous cell changes. A colposcope is an optical device with a powerful light beam, with which the doctor assesses the condition of the organ mucosa. Depending on the power of the device and diagnostic purposes, an increase in the image of the studied object by 2-40 times is achieved. So, if a survey study is being carried out and a large area needs to be covered, the minimum approximation is set. If it is important to assess the nature of the identified changes, to consider the smallest details, set the maximum magnification.

Colposcopy is performed in a gynecological chair and for the patient is no different from a regular examination. First, the doctor inserts a speculum into the vagina and performs a preliminary examination of the cervix. Then the colposcope is inserted, and the tissues are studied with its help. This is how a simple colposcopy works. There is another type of study - using a light filter to better differentiate pathological areas.

If changes are identified during the examination, an extended colposcopy is performed to examine them in more detail. To improve visualization, pathological areas are treated with solutions of vinegar or Lugol. Modified fabrics will be colored unevenly. The affected areas lubricated with acetic acid will look whitish, and with a glycerin solution of iodine, on the contrary, they will not change color, unlike healthy mucous membranes, which will acquire a brown tint. The patient will not experience discomfort. Chromocolposcopy is a modification of an extended examination. The cervical mucosa is treated with other dyes - methyl violet, toluidine blue, hematoxylin.

Colpomicroscopy allows you to study the cellular structure of the tissues being studied; in fact, it is a hybrid of histology and cytology. This is made possible by using a microscope with 300x magnification.

If a malignancy is suspected, the doctor will perform a biopsy. A sample of the taken biological material is sent for histological analysis, with the help of which the nature of the pathologically altered cells is determined.

Colposcopy is performed on patients in whom pathologically altered areas were discovered during a routine examination. The procedure is also prescribed for the following conditions:

abnormalities identified by the results of the Pap smear;
bleeding from the genitals not related to the menstrual cycle;
disruption of the menstrual cycle;
change in the usual amount of discharge during menstruation;
erosion of the cervical uterus;
condylomas on the external and internal genital organs;
polyps.

Contraindications to the study are periods of rehabilitation after abortion, childbirth, surgery, intolerance to contrast agents, and active inflammatory process.

Purpose of colposcopy

Colposcopy is the main diagnostic method for detecting cervical erosion. With this disease, it is important to find it and treat it as early as possible. The procedure also allows you to detect the following diseases:

Cervical polyps
Cancer of the vagina or vulva
Cervicitis
Precancerous conditions of the vulva, vagina, cervix
Cervical cancer
Genital warts, papillomas

The only contraindication to cervical colposcopy is menstruation. Based on the results, the doctor will talk about the conclusion and treatment.

How is a colposcopy done?

Preparation for the study involves sexual abstinence, refusal to use tampons, vaginal medications and douching for two days before the procedure.

During the procedure, a disposable gynecological kit is used.

Doctor places woman in gynecological chair
Examines the vulva, vaginal walls and cervix in mirrors with the naked eye.
Conducts an examination using a colposcope.
Using a cytobrush and spatula, he takes a targeted scraping from the areas most suspicious for the disease and sends it for cytological examination.
Lubricates the cervix with a 3% acetic acid solution. Under its influence, the blood vessels of healthy tissues narrow, while the vessels of the affected ones remain dilated.
Treats the mucous membrane with Lugol's solution containing iodine. Under the influence of the substance, healthy cells are painted dark, while patients remain pale. This allows you to localize the area for biopsy.
If necessary, a biopsy is performed, and the collected material is sent for histological examination.

Preparation for the procedure

Colposcopy is best performed in the first 2-4 days after the end of the critical days. If your doctor has ordered an examination and you start menstruating, reschedule your appointment for the procedure. The preparation is as follows:

2 days before the procedure, refrain from sexual intercourse of any kind
2 days before the procedure, do not use vaginal tablets, sprays, etc. (sometimes this is required if the doctor has prescribed appropriate preparation)
2 days in advance, stop using gels and soaps for intimate hygiene, use only water for washing
do not douche 2-3 days before colposcopy (especially since this method of self-medication can cause significant harm in some pathologies)

Analgesics are not administered before the procedure. Colposcopy does not cause any pain, such as a gynecological examination using a speculum.

How does the procedure work, should you be afraid of it?

A colposcope
is an instrument consisting of optical glass that magnifies the organ being examined many times. Thanks to this, the doctor who conducts the examination sees the smallest vessels and capillaries, as well as foci of damage and inflamed areas.

The patient is positioned on the examination chair. The doctor inserts a colposcope into the vagina (about 10-15 cm). A gynecological speculum is also inserted, which completely reflects the walls of the vagina and exposes the cervical cavity. This is a non-contact type of examination, so the procedure is painless; the patient may experience slight discomfort, as during a regular gynecological examination. Unpleasant sensations may only accompany taking a smear.

In general, the procedure lasts only a few minutes. If the doctor is an experienced specialist, and the office is equipped with modern technology and a comfortable chair, then the colposcopy will be quick and painless.

You can have a colposcopy in Vitebsk at a medical office. Qualified gynecologists work here who will carry out the procedure with maximum comfort for the patient.

Step-by-step description of the procedure

The picture of the disease can be distorted by several factors, which the doctor eliminates before the procedure to obtain reliable research results. The gynecologist removes mucus from the cervix and treats the area with vinegar and gugol. To do this, use a cotton swab, but not a gauze swab!

Colposcopy is performed before palpation of the uterus and its appendages is done. There are two types of procedure: extended and simple.

A simple colposcopy is performed immediately after the doctor has cleaned the cervix. Before dilatation, the doctor lubricates the vaginal part of the cervix with a 3% solution of acetic acid, then waits 2 minutes, and only then does an examination using a special device.

This treatment makes it possible to recognize any existing pathologies, because swelling of the mucous membrane is created on the cervix for some time, and blood flows into the tissues worse. To find out how prone cells are to developing cancer, a specialist uses Lugol's solution. This is the so-called Schiller test. If the cervix is in a precancerous state, the tissue cells contain little glycogen, and they will not turn dark when Lugol or iodine is applied. Therefore, in a precancerous condition, the doctor sees whitish spots on a brown background.

When the gynecologist has identified pathological changes, in some cases he takes a biopsy. That is, a small piece of tissue is taken for histology. Forceps are used for biopsy, so it will hurt a little. The pain may feel like a spasm or mild pressure. This is not something to be afraid of.

The patient experiences more severe pain if a biopsy is taken from the vulva or vagina. Then the doctor applies local anesthetics. In some cases, medications are used to stop bleeding. The material taken during the biopsy is immediately placed in a test tube and then delivered to the laboratory.

If a biopsy was performed during colposcopy, a scratch 3 to 5 mm long remains. In a few days there will be no trace left of her. In some cases, when the patient has 14 days or less left for her period, the day of taking material from the cervix for examination may be postponed.

Biopsy results are usually ready 10-14 days after the procedure. Therefore, during colposcopy, it is important to immediately make an appointment with a doctor so as not to delay diagnosis and treatment.

Colposcopy using modern equipment

Marina Grigorievna Shchedrina

Doctor Gynecologist, Gynecologist-Endocrinologist, Mammologist Highest category Experience over 28 years.
Go to the doctor's page Colposcopic examination of the cervix and inner surface of the vagina is modern, absolutely painless and effective. This Research is rightfully considered a real breakthrough in the fight against many gynecological diseases, including such serious ones as erosion and cervical cancer.

A procedure such as colposcopy is simple, low cost and does not require much time, however, patients have many questions about its implementation and we will try to answer them.

In our center, colposcopy is performed using new equipment of the latest generation, custom-made specifically for our center.

Elena Dmitrievna Stepanova

Doctor Obstetrician-Gynecologist Homeopathic Hirudotherapist Highest category Experience more than 28 years.
Go to the doctor's page It allows optical magnification up to 47 times, as well as the ability to obtain a digital image of the area being examined in both a regular and a special color spectrum. When ordering, we took into account all the shortcomings of equipment from previous generations, so this procedure in our Center is as informative as possible and allows us to identify diseases at the earliest stages, when they are still easily treatable.

How often should I have a colposcopy?

Often, pathologies of the cervix, including cancer, occur without particularly pronounced symptoms and unexpectedly “pop up” at a stage when treatment is associated with the risk of organ loss, or even danger to life. Colposcopy is the only way today to identify these diseases at the earliest stage.

Make colposcopy as routine as examining your teeth at the dentist or examining your breasts at the mammologist. Twenty to thirty minutes once a year will keep you alive and healthy. A colposcopy protocol or video recording will help the doctor make an accurate diagnosis and prevent the disease.

On what day of the cycle is it better to do a colposcopy?

Colposcopy is not performed during menstruation. The best time for this examination is on the day of the cycle in its first half, after the end of menstruation. At this time, the results of colposcopy will be most reliable.

Do you need preparation for colposcopy?

Special preparation for colposcopy is not required, it is the same as preparation for any gynecological examination: do not douche for two days before the examination, do not use vaginal medications and refrain from sex for the same couple of days.

How is colposcopy performed?

In our Center, organs are examined using a special device - a colposcope with a video recording system, which magnifies the desired area and, if necessary, displays it on a computer for more detailed viewing or color printing. This is the world standard for colposcopy, which is used in leading clinics around the world.

The colposcope is not inserted into the vagina! This is an “external” optical device. Only the usual Cusco speculum, to which everyone has long been accustomed, is inserted into the vagina.

Having obtained visual access to the cervix using a mirror, the doctor conducts a general examination and then, if necessary, takes a targeted smear.

What is simple and extended colposcopy?

There are several types of colposcopy, the main ones are simple colposcopy and extended colposcopy (EC).

Simple colposcopy

- This is an examination of the cervix and vagina, in which no additional reagents are used. Our device can magnify up to 42 times!

If the doctor has any suspicions, then, in agreement with the patient, an extended colposcopy (EC)

: the mucous membrane is treated with certain substances that show the lesions of the mucous membrane and their nature.

Digital video recording can be made during any type of colposcopy - at the request of the patient or for special indications.

If necessary, a biopsy is performed - a tiny piece of tissue is separated for analysis. This procedure is performed with a high-frequency radiosurgical instrument and is absolutely bloodless and painless. Biopsy and colposcopy together always increase the accuracy of diagnosis, which, if performed correctly, reaches 100% results!

What can be the consequences of colposcopy?

Colposcopy is not a surgical intervention, but a diagnostic study, so it cannot have any consequences. There may be some spotting after the biopsy, but it is not harmful and goes away quickly.

Be healthy!

Cervical colposcopy results

During extended colposcopy, in some cases, areas with altered tissues are found. If there is cervical erosion (in other words, ectopia), then the area will not be fully stained with Lugol, as noted above. In such cases, the diagnosis is clear to an experienced doctor, and he will no longer do a biopsy in vain.

If colposcopy shows puncture, mosaic, whitish areas without changes, pathologically changed vessels, then a biopsy is necessarily done to clarify the diagnosis. If the diagnosis cannot be understood by the appearance of the changes, then laboratory tests are indispensable. You will have to wait about 2 more weeks. If histology gives a conclusion about altered tissues, the doctor prescribes additional examination methods.

Measures after colposcopy and biopsy

If you had a colposcopy and did not take a biopsy, then there are no restrictions on your lifestyle. If a biopsy was performed, then for 4-10 days there may be nagging pain in the lower abdomen. Brown or greenish discharge from the genital tract (in small quantities) is also likely. These are considered normal variants, meaning no special treatment is needed.

In order to prevent complications after colposcopy with biopsy for 2 weeks you need to:

refrain from visiting the sauna and bathhouse, as well as taking baths; limit water treatments to showering
refrain from exercise and heavy physical activity
avoid medications containing acetylsalicylic acid
avoid using tampons
stop douching
avoid sexual intercourse

What is colposcopy in gynecology, preparation for the study

This is a completely safe technique that does not have a negative effect on the condition of the body. This is precisely why it can be prescribed to women who are pregnant. But it should not be carried out after childbirth for the first six or eight weeks. It is also not recommended for those women who have an individual intolerance to iodine or acetic acid. In all other cases, this procedure can be performed without restrictions.

Experts recommend performing colposcopy regularly – once every year. But it is advisable to first consult with a doctor who will clearly justify its necessity.

This procedure should be entrusted to professionals who have sufficient experience in performing it and whose actions will not cause harm to health. Only a specialist can correctly diagnose and carry out successful treatment.

Colposcopy during pregnancy

Pregnant women can undergo colposcopy if this procedure is prescribed by a doctor. This method is safe and does not cause pain. As already noted, you should not undergo a colposcopic examination if you are menstruating. Wait for them to finish.

Biopsy is contraindicated in pregnant women. It can lead to:

I'll have a miscarriage
bleeding
premature birth

A biopsy during colposcopy is especially dangerous for those who have placenta previa. During pregnancy, a biopsy may give false-positive results (the reason is an altered state of hormone balance). Also, treatment of erosion, if any, is not carried out before birth. In some cases, exceptions are possible. If a pregnant woman is found to have malignant changes in the final stages, then treatment is necessary. But these are rare cases.

Typically, a cervical biopsy is performed after a woman has given birth. Colposcopy can be performed without a biopsy if necessary. The doctor prescribes a procedure if changes in the cervix are detected. 6 weeks after birth, you can again do a colposcopy, and at the same time take material for a biopsy.

What recommendations should be followed when performing colposcopy?

Before prescribing a procedure for examining the uterine cervix with a colposcope, the doctor conducts a preliminary consultation to identify possible limitations.

Colposcopic examination is not recommended if a woman is prescribed local treatment for inflammation of the genital organs or an insufficient amount of time has passed since its completion (according to experts, at least a week should have passed since the end of treatment).

A few days before the set date of the study, you should refrain from douching, baths and sexual contact. It is also not recommended to use any local contraceptives (spermicides, creams, suppositories).

Following the listed recommendations and performing colposcopy within the prescribed time frame will allow you to obtain reliable diagnostic results and select appropriate treatment.

Attention!

This article is posted for informational purposes only and under no circumstances constitutes scientific material or medical advice and should not serve as a substitute for an in-person consultation with a professional physician.
For diagnostics, diagnosis and treatment, contact qualified doctors! Number of reads: 60037 Date of publication: 10/11/2017
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