Cervicitis

 

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Original Editors - Students from Bellarmine University's Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems project.

Top Contributors - Rachael Lewin, Victoria Loving, Lucinda hampton, Elaine Lonnemann, Kim Jackson, 127.0.0.1 and WikiSysop  

Definition/Description

• Cervicitis is defined as the inflammatory response of the cervix to a particular stimuli
• Can be acute or chronic; with chronic occurring due to inadequate treatment or recurrent inflammation
• Non-specific cervicitis is the most common; meaning that it is unrelated to an STI like chlamydia or gonorrhea
• A single instance or acute cervicitis is usually due to an infection like chlamydia or gonorrhea, while chronic is typically due to a non-infectious source
• If left untreated cervicitis can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease

 

Prevalence

Cervicitis is currently rarely reported to epidemiologists making true numbers for prevalence roughly estimated from about 8%-40%

• About 61% of cervicitis cases are of unknown etiology
  
  

Characteristics/Clinical Presentation

In many case cervicitis remains asymptomatic

• If symptomatic, person may experience vaginal discharge, dyspareunia, intermenstrual bleeding, or postcoital bleeding
• Occasionally will present in an abnormal fashion, such as a cervical growth or uterovaginal prolapse, but that is rare and usually due to delayed or no treatment
  
  

Associated Co-morbidities

In many cases, Mycoplasma Genitalium bacteria occurs simultaneously with cervicitis

• Gonorrhea and chlamydia is also commonly found in correlation with cervicitis

Medications

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Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values

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Etiology/Causes

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Systemic Involvement

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Medical Management (current best evidence)

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Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)

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Differential Diagnosis

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Case Reports/ Case Studies

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Resources

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Recent Related Research (from Pubmed)

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References

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Definition/Description

• Cervicitis is defined as the inflammatory response of the cervix to a particular stimuli
• Can be acute or chronic; with chronic occurring due to inadequate treatment or recurrent inflammation
• Non-specific cervicitis is the most common; meaning that it is unrelated to an STI like chlamydia or gonnorhea
• A single instance or acute cervicitis is usually due to an infection like chlamydia or gonnorhea, while chronic is typically due to a non-infectious source
• If left untreated cervicitis can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease 

Prevalence

Cervicitis is currently rarely reported to epidemiologists making true numbers for prevalence roughly estimated from about 8%-40%

• About 61% of cervicitis cases are of unknown etiology

Characteristics/Clinical Presentation

In many case cervicitis remains asymptomatic

• If symptomatic, person may experience vaginal discharge, dyspereunia, intermenstrual bleeding, or postcoital bleeding
• Occasionally will present in an abnormal fashion, such as a cervical growth or uterovaginal prolapse, but that is rare and usually due to delayed or no treatment

Associated Comorbidities

In many cases, Mycoplasma Gentialium bacteria occurs simultaneously with cervicitis

• Gonnorhea and chlamydia is also commonly found in correlation with cervicitis

Medications

Antibiotics are frequently given once cervicitis is found

• No other medications are usually prescribed to help with this condition

Diagnostic Tests/ Lab Values/ Lab Tests

In order to diagnose a culture is taken to look for mucopurulent discharge 

• Culture taken to look for specific bacteria like chlamydia, gonnorhea, or mycoplasma genitalium

Etiology/Causes

Cervicitis can be associated with preterm childbirth and pelvic inflammatory disease 

• Chlamydia, gonnorhea, trichomonas, bacterial vaginosis and mycoplasma genitalium are all seen to contribute to acture, infectious cervicitis
• Decreased use of condoms with sexual activity are shown to increase the risk for acquiring cervicitis
• Lower education and multiple sexual partners were also seen to contribute to the condition
• Cytomegalovirus has recently been shown to lead to cervicitis as well

Systemic Involvement

Untreated, cervicitis can lea to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

• Postcoital bleeding is also a common occurence when cervicitis in inadequately or not treated

Medical Management

Best evidence, is currently antibiotic therapies

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine is now being introduced to treat this diagnosis

Physical Therapy Management

Electrotherapy

• Magnet therapy
• Heat therapy
• Light therapy
• External high frequency calorimetry
• Low frequency pulsed ultrasound therapy
• Iontophoresis
• Shortwave ultrasound combined with intermediate frequency electrical stimulation
• Ozone therapy
• Shortwave diathermy

Differential Diagnosis

Cystic cervicitis

• Vaginosis
• Vulva vaginitis
• Herpes Simplex Virus

Case Reports/Studies

 Singh N, Arora A. An Extreme Case of Chronic Cervicitis Mimicking Cervical Cancer and Causing Third-Degree Prolapse. Journal Of Gynecologic Surgery [serial online]. December 2014;30(6):380-382. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed February 23, 2017.

Resources

https://www.plannedparenthood.org

References