Postpartum cervix and its relation to cervical neoplasia.A colposcopic study

Abstract

Detailed colposcopic observations were made on 100 consecutive normal patients immediately postpartum. Traumatic cervical lesions (lacerations, erosions or bruising) were found in 97% of the patients having their first‐term vaginal delivery and in 58% of multiparas. The anterior lip of the cervix was injured more frequently than the posterior lip in statistically significant numbers. Areas of regenerating epithelium also were found significantly more frequently on the anterior lip. The observations that traumatic injuries of delivery, lesions indicative of regenerative processes and early cervical neoplasia are more prevalent on the anterior cervical lip lend credence to the theory that trauma and related healing may play a role in the genesis of cervical carcinoma.