Vulval, Vaginal and Cervical Pathology Flashcards
What is cervical erosion?
Exposure of the delicate endocervical epithelium to the acidic environment of the vagina leads to physiological squamous metaplasia
What are the most common infective causes of cervicitis?
Chlamydia
Gonnorhea
What are the two most high risk subtypes of HPV?
16 & 18
What are the risk factors for cervical cancer?
Persistent HPV infection Age at first sexual intercourse (due to vulnerability of SC junction in early reproductive life) Long term use of oral contraceptives Non use of barrier contraception Immunosuppression (eg HIV)
Which subtypes of HPV cause genital warts?
6 and 11
What is Koilocytosis?
Presence of Koilocytes in a sample. A Koilocyte is a squamous epithelial cell that has undergone a number of structural changes, which occur as a result of infection of the cell by HPV
How long does it typically take for HPV infection to cause high grade CIN?
6 months to 3 years
How long does it typically take for High Grade CIN to turn into invasive cancer?
5 - 20 years
What kind of invasive cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection?
Invasive squamous carcinoma
Where does CIN occur?
At the transformation zone of the cervix
What is CIN?
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia - dysplasia of the squamous cells of the cervix
Describe the histology of CIN
- Immature basal cells occupy more of the epithelium
- Nuclear abnormalities (eg pleomorphism)
- Excess mitotic activity situated above basal layers
What is pleomorphism?
Variability in the size and shape of cells and/or their nuclei.
On histology from a cervical smear you see that the basal 1/3rd of the epithelium is occupied by abnormal cells. What grade of CIN is this?
CIN 1
On histology from a cervical smear you see that the basal 2/3rd of the epithelium is occupied by abnormal cells. What grade of CIN is this?
CIN II
On histology from a cervical smear you see abnormal cells throughout the whole sample. What grade on CIN is this?
CIN III
What type of cancer does CIN lead to?
Invasive squamous carcinoma
If a cervical cancer is at a depth of 3mm with a width of 7mm only in the cervix what stage is it?
1A1
If a cervical cancer is at a depth of 5mm with a width of 7mm only in the cervix what stage is it?
1A2
If a cervical cancer is confined to the cervix only but is deeper than 5mm, what stage is it?
1B
If a cervical cancer has spread to the vagina what stage is it?
2
If a cervical cancer has spread to the pelvic wall what stage is it?
3
If a cervical cancer has spread to the bladder what stage is it?
4
What are the first lymph nodes that squamous cervical carcinoma would spread to?
Pelvic and para aortic