Diagnosis of Cervical Dysplasia

A diagnosis of cervical dysplasia may leave you with more questions than answers. Understanding cervical dysplasia, its causes, and its treatments can help you make better decisions about your treatment.

What is Cervical Dysplasia?

• Cervical dysplasia is the name given to abnormal cells that are found on the cervix, which is located at the bottom of the uterus.

  While not all dysplastic cervical cells are cancerous, all cervical dysplasias are treated as precancerous, because cervical dysplasia often leads to cervical cancer.

Is Cervical Dysplasia Serious?

• Although dysplastic cervical cells are not necessarily cancerous, the fact that cervical dysplasia is closely associated with cervical cancer means that action must be taken to assess the situation and determine a course of treatment.

  Cervical dysplasias are grouped in the following categories:
  - CIN I: mild dysplasia (only a few abnormal cells)
  - CIN II: moderate to marked dysplasia (a large amount of cells are affected)
  - CIN III: severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ (the entire cervix is affected)

What Causes Cervical Dysplasia?

• Not all of the causes of cervical dysplasia are known or understood. However, the most persistent cause of abnormal cervical cells is HPV, or Human Papilloma Virus, a sexually transmitted disease that can result is genital warts.

  Other causes of cervical dysplasia include:
  - Sexual activity prior to the age 18
  - Multiple sexual partners
  - Having a child prior to the age 16
  - Smoking
  - Conditions or medications that result in a weakened immune system.

  There are also links between taking the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) while pregnant and cervical dysplasias. Mothers who took DES during pregnancy are more likely to have daughters who suffer from cervical dysplasias.

How Is Cervical Dysplasia Treated?

• Cervical dysplasia is often diagnosed as the result of a pap smear that finds abnormal cells.

  Before treating the abnormal test results, most health care providers will order a biopsy of the abnormal cervical cells.

  If the dysplasia is a CIN I, or mild, your health care provider may choose to observe the cells for changes before treating them, due to the fact that mild dysplasias will often resolve themselves.

  Moderate or severe dysplasias require more aggressive treatment that destroys the cells. The cells are destroyed using one or a combination of the following:

  - Cryosurgery, which freezes the abnormal cells,
  - Electrocauterization, which destroys the dysplastic cells through cauterization,
  - Laser vaporization
  - Surgery

  After these procedures, follow-up examinations will be scheduled regularly to monitor the condition.
  .

What are the Complications of Cervical Dysplasia?

• When treated promptly, cervical dysplasia is often not a serious condition. Without treatment, an estimated 30 to 50 percent of cervical dysplasias will develop into cervical cancer.

  Some women will develop cervical dysplasia more than once, and will need repeated treatments for the abnormal cells.

  In isolated incidents, women who have been treated for cervical dysplasia have experienced premature birth. Notify your health care provider if you are pregnant and have been treated for cervical dysplasia in the past.