Cervicitis

Cervicitis is an inflammatory condition of the cervix. The inflammation can cause a visible [Page 213]erythema, swelling, tenderness, or discharge, or it may be mild and only cause microscopic evidence of inflammatory infiltrate. Most commonly, it is the result of an infectious agent progressing to a mucopurulent cervicitis (MPC), but a traumatic injury or the natural consequence of aging and atrophy are also common etiologies. Virtually all histological reports of the cervix at the time of hysterectomy report the formal diagnosis of cervicitis microscopically. Typically, the infection is local to the cervix, but untreated, it could progress to either local pelvic or more disseminated infection.