Many female diseases occur without specific visible symptoms. The patient often does not even suspect that there are some violations in her reproductive system.
Cervical scraping is one of the most effective diagnostic techniques. It allows you to identify serious pathologies in the early stages of occurrence.
About the cervical canal
Many people wonder what the cervical canal is. This is the anatomical part of the female reproductive system, located in the cervix. The success of the onset of pregnancy and the process of childbearing directly depends on this body.
Such a study is considered standard and is performed even during routine preventive examinations by a gynecologist. Simply put, this is the collection of a small amount of mucous tissue for subsequent examination under a microscope. ViaScraping from the cervical canal can diagnose atypical changes in the structures of the genital organs and the formation of precancerous conditions. This medical procedure is mandatory at the stage of pregnancy planning, and is also prescribed to women who have already undergone a course of therapy for certain gynecological diseases.
Indications for conduction
Scraping from the cervical canal is sent for a cytological examination. Diagnosis of the composition of the microflora and the mucous membrane of the genital organs should be carried out even when a woman does not have any complaints or alarming symptoms. A timely examination by a doctor and a diagnostic study will allow you to detect the disease at the initial stage of its development and eliminate it.
The list of main medical indications for uterine scraping includes:
- frequent menstrual irregularities;
- inflammatory processes on the uterine or vaginal mucosa;
- frequent vaginal bleeding between periods;
- failed to conceive within 6 months;
- detection of viral or pathogenic microflora in the vagina;
- preparation for in vitro fertilization procedures;
- cervical erosion.
How often?
Scraping from the cervical canal is recommended to be carried out regularly - twice a year. The specialist studies the results of a laboratory test and, based on the information received, prescribespatient treatment, additional diagnostic manipulations, gives useful recommendations. If abnormal cells are found in the scraping, a colposcopy and biopsy is necessary.
Preparation
For analysis from the cervical canal, a woman does not need to be specially prepared. This procedure can be performed by a gynecologist during a routine chair examination. Such a diagnosis is absolutely painless, does not cause any discomfort or discomfort to the patient.
Nevertheless, there are several recommendations, following which will help to obtain the most reliable results of this laboratory diagnosis of epithelial cells.
A few days before taking a scraping from the cervical canal, a woman is forbidden to douche. It is recommended to wash only with boiled water, without the use of soap and other detergents. For a few days before the test, it is necessary to abandon intimacy. This will help preserve the natural microflora in the vagina, making the analysis more accurate. A few hours before the scraping, the woman should not go to the toilet.
During the period of menstruation
Diagnosis is not carried out during menstrual bleeding, since heavy discharge can significantly distort the result and the doctor will not be able to make a correct diagnosis. The inflammatory process in the structures of the reproductive system also negatively affects the results of the scraping examination.
Preliminarily, experts recommend eliminating inflammation, and only after absolute recoverytake an analysis. Severe burning and itching in the area of the external organs, sensations of soreness in the lower abdomen are quite alarming symptoms that often signal the development of infectious pathologies of the genital organs. With such symptoms, scraping should also not be performed.
Methodology
Scraping from the cervical canal is taken by a gynecologist using an Eyre spatula. For research, it is necessary to take the cells of the mucous membrane of the exocervix.
A special gynecological instrument - Eyre's spatula, or curette - is very convenient to use. In modern clinics, for such a medical procedure, an endobrush is used, which allows you to quickly obtain the required amount of biological material for laboratory examination. In addition, for optimal visualization of the material removal process, gynecologists use the Cusco mirror. It is a reusable or disposable medical instrument. Available in various designs and sizes. Cusco's speculum helps to examine the condition of the cervical mucosa.
After that, the doctor transfers a small amount of mucus from the cervical canal to a glass slide and sends this sample to the laboratory. The specialist must attach a note to the glass, indicating the patient's data. No additional anesthesia is required during the scraping as the procedure is usually painless and takes a few seconds.
Studying material
An employee of the diagnostic laboratory studies biologicalmaterial under a microscope. Determining the presence of atypical cells in it can signal the occurrence of such dangerous pathologies as endometrial dysplasia, pseudo-erosion, inflammatory or infectious pathology, leukoplakia, oncology, or a precancerous condition. If pathological conditions are detected, the specialist prescribes appropriate therapy, and after the end of the course of treatment, the diagnostic procedure is repeated.
Cervical cytology
Scraping from the uterine cavity is a microscopic study of the typical composition of cells taken from the cervical canal and vagina. Such diagnostics makes it possible to draw conclusions about the presence of inflammatory processes and cancers. Unlike histological analysis, cytological analysis is non-invasive. That is, when taking a biomaterial, there is no need to perform a puncture or biopsy, the integrity of the tissue is not violated in any way. Samples taken with the help of a smear or imprint are subjected to research. To obtain results, you must follow the rules of preparation.
As a rule, no more than a day is required to perform a cytological examination. If an oncological process or a precancerous condition has been detected in a patient, invasive diagnostic techniques, such as a biopsy, are used to clarify such a diagnosis. Cytology is important in the presence of contraindications for biopsy and in studies of a large number of patients (when it is necessary to identify those who are at risk for the occurrence of malignant pathology). Papanicolaou analysis, Pap test - this is a smear for cytology.
Norms
There are medical guidelines that should ideally be followed by examination of cervical scrapings in he althy women. In the analysis, epithelial cells must be present in the visible zone. In he althy patients, they can be multilayer metaplastic and single-layer cylindrical. In the stratified epithelium, the development of pathological changes most often occurs, to which the doctor necessarily pays attention.
Diagnosis of scraping is a standard medical procedure that is carried out in any gynecological clinic. In a state institution, such a study is carried out free of charge. Cytology analysis is either positive or negative. In the second variant, no pathological changes were detected. The structure of the cells remains unchanged; there is no pathogenic microflora in the biological material. A positive cytology indicates that a certain number of abnormal cells are present in the woman's reproductive organs. Atypical elements have a different size and shape. With this result, a re-examination is recommended.
Auxiliary diagnostic methods
In addition, the gynecologist may prescribe auxiliary methods for diagnosing female diseases, which include:
- biopsy;
- HPV test;
- colposcopy.
In addition, the patient will need to donate blood from a vein to exerciseextended analysis. All these techniques will allow specialists to carry out multifunctional diagnostics and prescribe the most effective therapy.
Cervical scraping during pregnancy
Special attention should be paid to pregnant women, as a timely detected disease will not harm the he alth of the unborn child. Since the clinical picture obtained in a smear of a pregnant woman often changes during this period and is different at certain times, a cytological examination is prescribed several times:
- when registering (to determine the presence of pathologies at an early date);
- at the 30th week to track changes in the microflora and correct them;
- at 36 weeks, in preparation for childbirth;
- if there are complaints of itching or discomfort, a smear for the study is scheduled unscheduled.
This study minimizes the chance of infection of the newborn during passage through the birth canal.
Deciphering the cytological examination of cervical smears
Scraping can be attributed to the standard methods of gynecological examination. What is the cervical canal, we explained above.
After entering the laboratory, the material is examined under a microscope. This is a rather complicated process that takes from 1 to 8 days.
If the result is positive, do not panic, because it does not mean that the patient has cancer. Therefore, it is very important todecipher the results. In modern medical practice, pathological changes in the mucous membrane of the cervical canal are divided into several classes:
- number 0 means that the biomaterial is unsuitable for research and it is necessary to repeat the scraping;
- number 1 indicates that the studied cells are normal, no pathological abnormalities were detected in the patient;
- number 2 means that a small number of atypical cells are present in the biomaterial, and the disease is at an early stage of development;
- number 3 is an alarming symptom that signals cervical dysplasia;
- number 4 - the first precancerous degree;
- number 5 is the most dangerous because it indicates the presence of cancer.
Deciphering a cytological examination of cervical smears should be carried out only by a highly qualified specialist.
