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Metaplasia is an adaptation that replaces one type of epithelium with another that is more likely to be able to withstand the stresses it is faced with. It is also accompanied by a loss of endothelial function, and in some instances considered undesirable; this undesirability is underscored by the propensity for metaplastic regions to ...
In regard to the cervix, squamous metaplasia can sometimes be found in the endocervix, as it is composed of simple columnar epithelium, whereas the ectocervix is composed of stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium. [2]
Microglandular hyperplasia (MGH) of the cervix is an epithelial (endocervical mucosa) benign abnormality (lesion) associated with gland proliferation. [1] [2] It can terminate in mature squamous metaplasia, and it is suspected reserve cells are involved in this process, perhaps in the form of reserve cell hyperplasia with glandular differentiation.
This area of columnar cells on the ectocervix forms an area that is red and raw in appearance called an ectropion (cervical erosion). It is then exposed to the acidic environment of the vagina and, through a process of squamous metaplasia, transforms into stratified squamous epithelium. [4]
This inflammation may be of the endocervix or ectocervix. [56] When associated with the endocervix, it is associated with a mucous vaginal discharge and sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea. [57] As many as half of pregnant women having a gonorrheal infection of the cervix are asymptomatic. [58]
Metaplasia occurs when a cell of a certain type is replaced by another cell type, which may be less differentiated. It is a reversible process thought to be caused by stem cell reprogramming. Stem cells are found in epithelia and embryonic mesenchyme of connective tissue. A prominent example of metaplasia involves the changes associated with ...
CIN most commonly occurs at the squamocolumnar junction of the cervix, a transitional area between the squamous epithelium of the vagina and the columnar epithelium of the endocervix. [2] It can also occur in vaginal walls and vulvar epithelium. CIN is graded on a 1–3 scale, with 3 being the most abnormal (see classification section below).
The cervical canal is generally lined by "endocervical mucosa" which consists of a single layer of mucinous columnar epithelium. However, after menopause, the functional squamocolumnar junction moves into the cervical canal, and hence the distal part of the cervical canal may be lined by stratified squamous epithelium (conforming to a "type 3 transformation zone").