Can leucorrhea detect cervicitis?

Leucorrhea examination can assist in the diagnosis of cervicitis. The diagnosis of cervicitis mainly relies on routine examination of leucorrhea, cervical secretion culture, colposcopy, etc. Among them, leucorrhea examination can detect abnormal indicators such as increased white blood cells and pathogenic infection.

1. Routine examination of leucorrhea

Routine examination of leucorrhea is the basic item for diagnosing cervicitis. Microscopic observation can reveal that the number of white blood cells exceeds 10 per high-power field, indicating the presence of inflammatory reaction. If pathogens such as trichomoniasis and mold are detected, the type of infection can be clarified. This examination can also detect clue cells to help determine bacterial vaginosis and infection.

2. Cervical secretion culture

Cervical secretion culture can accurately identify specific pathogens such as gonococci and chlamydia. For cases where the leucorrhea examination shows purulent secretions but no common pathogens are detected, culture needs to be performed to rule out special infections such as mycoplasma and anaerobic bacteria. This method is particularly important for the diagnosis of the cause of chronic cervicitis.

3. Colposcopy

Colposcopy can directly observe the cervical erosion surface, congestion and edema and other lesion characteristics, and combined with the acetic acid test can identify the range of cervical columnar epithelial ectopia. For patients with abnormal leucorrhea and contact bleeding, colposcopy can detect typical cervicitis symptoms such as vascular proliferation on the cervical surface and contact bleeding points.

4. HPV testing

Persistent infection with high-risk HPV is an important cause of chronic cervicitis. When the leucorrhea examination shows inflammation but the treatment effect is not good, it needs to be combined with HPV typing testing. If high-risk subtypes such as HPV16/18 are detected, further cervical biopsy may be required to exclude precancerous lesions.

5. Cervical TCT examination

Thin-layer liquid-based cytology can evaluate the degree of abnormality of cervical epithelial cells. For patients with long-term increased leucorrhea, TCT can differentiate between simple inflammation and atypical squamous cell lesions. This examination, combined with the leucorrhea test results, can provide a more comprehensive clinical diagnosis basis.

Daily care should be taken to keep the vulva clean and dry, and avoid using alkaline lotions to rinse the vagina. It is recommended to choose cotton underwear and change it every day, and change sanitary products in time during menstruation. If symptoms such as abnormal color of leucorrhea, odor, or vulvar itching occur, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible to complete the examination and avoid self-medication to cover up the condition. Regular gynecological examinations can help detect cervical lesions early.