Cervical stenosis means that the opening in the

cervix The cervix or cervix uteri (Latin, 'neck of the uterus') is the lower part of the uterus (womb) in the human female reproductive system. The cervix is usually 2 to 3 cm long (~1 inch) and roughly cylindrical in shape, which changes during ...

(the endocervical canal) is more narrow than is typical. In some cases, the endocervical canal may be completely closed. A

stenosis A stenosis (from Ancient Greek στενός, "narrow") is an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure such as foramina and canals. It is also sometimes called a stricture (as in urethral stricture). ''Stricture'' ...

is any passage in the body that is more narrow than it should typically be.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms depend on whether the

cervical canal The cervical canal is the spindle-shaped, flattened canal of the cervix, the neck of the uterus. Anatomy The cervical canal communicates with the uterine cavity via the internal orifice of the uterus (or internal os) and with the vagina via the ...

is partially or completely obstructed and on the patient's

menopausal Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in women's lives when Menstruation, menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer fertility, able to bear children. Menopause usually occurs between the age of 47 and 54. Medic ...

status. Pre-menopausal patients may have a build up of blood inside the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...

which may cause infection, sporadic bleeding, or pelvic pain. Patients also have an increased risk of

infertility Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species (mostly haplodiploid insects). It is the normal state ...

and

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, f ...

.The Merck Manual Home Edition. Last full review/revision December 2008 by S. Gene McNeeley.
Cervical Stenosis
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Fertility

Cervical stenosis may impact

natural fertility Natural fertility is the fertility that exists without birth control. The control is the number of children birthed to the parents and is modified as the number of children reaches the maximum. There is evidence that little birth control is used in ...

by impeding the passage of

sperm Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, whi ...

into the

. In the context of infertility treatments, cervical stenosis may complicate or prevent the use of

intrauterine insemination Artificial insemination is the deliberate introduction of sperm into a female's cervix or uterine cavity for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy through in vivo fertilization by means other than sexual intercourse. It is a fertility treatm ...

(IUI) or

in vitro fertilization In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating an individual's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) ...

(IVF) procedures.

Causes

Cervical stenosis may be present from birth or may be caused by other factors: * Surgical procedures performed on the

such as

colposcopy Colposcopy ( grc, κόλπος, kolpos, hollow, womb, vagina + ''skopos'' "look at") is a medical diagnostic procedure to visually examine the cervix as well as the vagina and vulva using a colposcope. The main goal of colposcopy is to prevent c ...

, cone biopsy, or a

cryosurgery Cryosurgery is the use of extreme cold in surgery to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue; thus, it is the surgical application of cryoablation. The term comes from the Greek words cryo (κρύο) ("icy cold") and surgery (''cheirourgiki'' – χ� ...

procedure * Trauma to the cervix * Repeated vaginal infections * Atrophy of the cervix after

menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children. Menopause usually occurs between the age of 47 and 54. Medical professionals often d ...

* Cervical cancer * Radiation * Cervical nabothian cysts

Treatment

Treatment of cervical stenosis involves opening or widening the cervical canal. The condition may improve on its own following the vaginal delivery of a baby. Cervical canal widening can be temporarily achieved by the insertion of dilators into the cervix. If the stenosis is caused by scar tissue, a laser treatment can be used to vaporize the scarring. Finally, the surgical enlargement of the cervical canal can be performed by hysteroscopic shaving of the cervical tissue.

References

External links

{{Female diseases of the pelvis and genitals Noninflammatory disorders of female genital tract