Atrophic changes.
Atrophy of the uterus and cervix is in most cases diagnosed in women during menopause. The result of this pathology is regression of epithelial tissue. However, women of childbearing age are also not immune from cervical atrophy. The disease can develop due to estrogen deficiency, after surgical interventions on the cervix, and with systemic connective tissue pathologies. Cervical atrophy is one of the factors causing female infertility.
Basically, atrophic changes occur during menopause. A decrease in hormone production leads to the disappearance of mucous secretion and a change in the bacterial flora. As a result, a gradual reduction in the thickness of the epithelium occurs, which leads to tissue irritation and injury.
Squamous metaplasia
A process characterized by non-cancerous changes in the epithelial cells of the cervix. Squamous metaplasia occurs as a result of a combination of general and local factors that negatively affect the body, causing a reversible process during which differentiated epithelial cells are transformed into more resilient cells of stratified squamous epithelium, with or without keratinization. Squamous metaplasia of the cervical canal also occurs as a result of fusion with the adjacent endocervix. Changes in cell type can lead to decreased epithelial function. When the pathological stimuli are eliminated, the metaplastic cells return to their original form and function. Persistence of physiological stressors in areas susceptible to metaplasia can lead to dysplasia or premalignant cellular changes. The development of metaplastic cells occurs under the influence of herpes or bacterial infections (chlamydia, toxoplasmosis, ureaplasmosis), occurring against a background of weakened immunity and having a chronic form.
