Colposcopy can detect cervical cancer

If a woman has high-risk HPV infection and is over 30 years old, she will be recommended to undergo a colposcopy during a routine gynecological checkup. Colposcopy can clearly diagnose whether there are suspicious areas, and if necessary, take a biopsy and send it for pathological examination to confirm whether she has cervical cancer.

Colposcopy is a method of examination that magnifies the surface of the vagina and cervix several to dozens of times and presents it to the doctor. Its main purpose is to observe abnormal epithelial changes, changes in vascular morphology, and acetic acid white lesions, so as to determine whether there is a possibility of malignant lesions. Therefore, colposcopy can usually detect some early cervical cancer.

1. Suspicious plaques: Under normal circumstances, there are fine granular structures in the local part of the cervix, and high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia or low-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia will not affect normal cells, and the mucosa will appear smooth at this time. However, if it is squamous intraepithelial neoplasia of intermediate grade or above or carcinoma in situ, it will cause local glandular hyperplasia or protrusions, making the original mucosa uneven, showing superficial ulcer-like growths of varying sizes, and there will also be local necrotic tissue shedding, resulting in the formation of local erosive appearance, which is a suspicious plaque.

2. Changes in vascular morphology: Due to low-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia or inflammation, local capillary dilation will occur. Therefore, when patients develop this lesion, the local blood vessels will also show obvious dilation, curvature, and redness.

3. Acetic acid white lesions: Due to high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia or carcinoma in situ, the focal epithelium will be affected, causing it to lose its original color and turn white. Therefore, after applying glacial acetic acid with a concentration of about 5%, white lesions will appear in about 6-8 minutes.

4. Other situations: If the iodine test is positive, that is, smear the cervix with 50% medical iodine solution, and then leave it for a few minutes, and then observe the color depth of the stained area to distinguish the extent of the lesion. If you suspect that there is a problem with the cervix, you can use the vinegar white test, that is, wipe the cervix with a cotton swab, and then use alcohol to remove the liquid on the cotton swab, and finally immerse the cotton swab in alcohol, take it out and drop it on the surface of the cervix. Generally, it will take effect in about 5 minutes, showing snowflake-like or onion-tube-like white spots, indicating that there may be cervical precancerous lesions or even cervical cancer.

For people who have been infected with human papillomavirus, they must pay attention to personal hygiene and go to the hospital for regular checkups to understand the recovery of the disease. At the same time, they must develop good living habits and avoid frequent sexual intercourse to avoid aggravating the disease.