The Cervix in Health and Disease Flashcards
Function of the Cervix
- Its function is as a consequence of where it is (junction between the uterus and Vagina)
- Neck of womb
Embryology of Cervix
- …-… weeks - during embryogenesis
- … epithelium involutes to form 2 sets of tubes:
- Wollfian duct - … duct
- Müllerian duct - … duct
- In Women - Müllerian duct fuse in midline to form uterus, cervix, vagina, cranial end of fallopian tubes
- 6-8 weeks - during embryogenesis
-
Coelomic epithelium involutes to form 2 sets of tubes:
- Wollfian duct - mesopnephric duct
- Müllerian duct - paramesonephric duct
- In Women - Müllerian duct fuse in midline to form uterus, cervix, vagina, cranial end of fallopian tubes
What is visible here?
- Uterus specimen - looking from behind
- above - cervix
- Ovaries on either side
- fallopian tubues on top of each ovary
Congenital abnormalities of cervix: Agenesis and Dysgenesis
- Diagram A = ?
- Diagram B = ?
- Diagram C = ?
- Diagram D = ?
- Diagram A = Cervical - complete agensis (no cervix)
- Diagram B = Uterus and cervix formed, no connection with vagina
- Diagram C = Cervical dysgenesis
- Diagram D = Cervical dysgenesis
What is Cervical Agenesis?
Cervical agenesis is a congenital disorder of the female genital system that manifests itself in the absence of a cervix, the connecting structure between the uterus and vagina.
What is Cervical Dysgenesis?
Milder forms of the condition Cervical Agenesis, in which the cervix is present but deformed and nonfunctional, are known as cervical atresia or cervical dysgenesis.
Anatomy of the Cervix
- The cervix consists of 2 regions: the Endocervical Canal and the Ectocervix
- The Ectocervix is the portion of the cervix that projects into the …
- The … Os marks the transition between the ectocervix and endocervical canal
- The Endocervical canal is the more ‘…’ part of the cervix.
- The endocervical canal ends, and the uterine cavity begins, at a narrowing called the … Os.
- Where the Columnar epithelium of endocervical canal meets the Ectocervix (stratified squamous epithelium) = … junction (SCJ)
- The cervix consists of 2 regions: the Endocervical Canal and the Ectocervix
- The Ectocervix is the portion of the cervix that projects into the vagina
- The External Os marks the transition between the ectocervix and endocervical canal
- The Endocervical canal is the more ‘inner’ part of the cervix.
- The endocervical canal ends, and the uterine cavity begins, at a narrowing called the Internal Os.
- Where the Columnar epithelium of endocervical canal meets the Ectocervix (stratified squamous epithelium) = Squamocolumnar junction (SCJ)
The cervix consists of 2 regions: the … and the …
The cervix consists of 2 regions: the Endocervical Canal and the Ectocervix
Nulliparous women are…
Nulliparous is the medical term for a woman who has never given birth either by choice or for any other reason.
Parous women are…
Women who have given birth one or more times.
The appearance of the cervix varies widely with 1) …, 2) … …, 3) ….
The appearance of the cervix varies widely with age, hormonal state and parity
Appearance of the Cervix - Nulliparous vs Parous women
- In the nulliparous female it is … shaped with a small … external os at the center of the cervix
- In parous women, cervix is … and the external os becomes …-like
- In the nulliparous female it is barrel shaped with a small circular external os at the center of the cervix
- In parous women, cervix is bulky and the external os becomes slit-like
Histology of the Normal Cervix
- The … is covered by non-keratinizing, stratified squamous epithelium. either native or metaplastic in continuity with the vaginal epithelium.
- The squamous epithelium is composed by multiple layers: basal, parabasal, intermediate and superficial layer.
- The … is lined by a simple columnar epithelium that secretes mucus
- Mucinous columnar epithelium lines the surface and the underlying glands.
- The ectocervix is covered by non-keratinizing, stratified squamous epithelium. either native or metaplastic in continuity with the vaginal epithelium.
- The squamous epithelium is composed by multiple layers: basal, parabasal, intermediate and superficial layer.
- The endocervix is lined by a simple columnar epithelium that secretes mucus
- Mucinous columnar epithelium lines the surface and the underlying glands.
Histology of the Normal Cervix - Endocervix
- The endocervix is lined by a simple … epithelium that secretes …
- The endocervix is lined by a simple columnar epithelium that secretes mucus
- Mucinous columnar epithelium lines the surface and the underlying glands.
Histology of the Normal Cervix - Ectocervix
- The Ectocervix is covered by non-keratinizing, … … epithelium. either native or metaplastic in continuity with the vaginal epithelium.
- The Ectocervix is covered by non-keratinizing, stratified squamous epithelium, either native or metaplastic in continuity with the vaginal epithelium.
- The squamous epithelium is composed by multiple layers: basal, parabasal, intermediate and superficial layer.
Ectocervix - The squamous epithelium is composed by multiple layers: …, …, … and superficial layer.
The squamous epithelium is composed by multiple layers: basal, parabasal, intermediate and superficial layer.
Endocervix - … columnar epithelium lines the surface and the underlying glands
Endocervix - Mucinious columnar epithelium lines the surface and the underlying glands
The Transformation Zone
- Red lining - represents … epithelium
- Pink lining - represents … epithelium
- Transformation Zone - Area where … meets … - area of actively dividing cells which undergo continuous …
- Area more prone to … infection
- Red lining - represents columnar epithelium
- Pink lining - represents squamous epithelium
- Transformation Zone - Area where columnar meets squamous - area of actively dividing cells which undergo continuous metaplasia - columnar to squamous as columnar undergoes metaplastic change when exposed to acidic pH
- Area more prone to HPV infection
The Transformation Zone - After the Menopause
- Arrow below the red area represents … which has receeded upwards into the canal
- The white represents … which is located in the … rather than the …
- What causes this?
- Arrow below the red area represents the SCJ - receeds upwards into canal
- White represents Transformation zone located in the endocervical canal rather than on the ectocervix
- Why? - After menopause - relative deficiency in oestrogen
- Patients with abnormal smear test in menopause - can be harder to access for any precancerous changes
What happens to the transformation zone after menopause?
Recedes upwards into the endocervical canal (all squamous, no columnar visible)
The stroma of the cervix
- Made up of:
- Mostly … connective tissue
- Approx …% smooth muscle fibres
- Made up of:
- Mostly Collagenous connective tissue
- Approx 15% smooth muscle fibres
Blood Supply of the Cervix
- …. artery, (arises from the internal iliac artery), … branch
- (This artery is only found in females)
- Venous drainage follows the arteries
-
Uterine artery, (arises from the internal iliac artery), descending branch
- (This artery is only found in females, supplying the uterus and other parts of the female reproductive system. Developmentally, the uterine artery is thought to be a female equivalent to the artery to ductus deferens in the male.)
- Venous drainage follows the arteries
Lymphatic drainage of the Cervix
- Lymph nodes in … (on either side of cervix), Drainage follows from … to obturator, internal …, external …, common … towards aorta
- Lymph nodes in Parametrium (on either side of cervix), Drainage follows from parametrium to obturator, internal iliacs, external iliacs, common iliacs towards aorta
Nerve Supply to the Cervix
- Pain fibres with the … to S2, S3, S4 (uterine to T11 and T12 in addition)
- Pain fibres with the parasympathetics to S2, S3, S4 (uterine to T11 and T12 in addition)
Nerve Supply to the Cervix
- Pain fibres with the parasympathetics to …,…,… (uterine to T11 and T12 in addition)
- Pain fibres with the parasympathetics to S2, S3, S4 (uterine to T11 and T12 in addition)
Functions of the Cervix
- Produces … to facilitate sperm …
- Acts as a … to ascending …
- Holds a developing … in place
- … and … to enable vaginal birth
- Produces mucus to facilitate sperm migration
- Acts as a barrier to ascending infection
- Holds a developing pregnancy in place
- Effaces (stretch and thin) and dilates to enable vaginal birth
Examination of the Cervix
- What do we use?
A speculum is a device used to look inside in the vagina and observe the cervix.