- With Mayo Clinic gynecologist and obstetrician
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
Dr. Mary Gallenberg is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine and medical oncology. She is credentialed as a menopause practitioner by the North American Menopause Society.
An Antigo, Wis., native, Dr. Gallenberg is a consultant in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Dr. Gallenberg has been with Mayo Clinic since 1990. She was on the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource editorial board and has been honored for excellence in teaching. She also won a Mayo Clinic Excellence Through Teamwork award.
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Question
Cervical cysts: Can they be cancerous?
Can cervical cysts be cancerous?
Answer
from Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
Cervical cysts — mucus-filled lumps that form on the cervix — are rarely cancerous. Cervical cysts, also called nabothian cysts, form when normal tissue on the outer part of the cervix (squamous epithelium) grows over the glandular mucus-producing tissue of the inner part of the cervix (endocervical canal). Cervical mucus is trapped, forming cysts.
Cervical cysts usually are discovered incidentally during a pelvic exam. They typically cause no symptoms and don't require treatment unless they grow large enough to cause pain. In such cases, treatment may include removal of the cyst.
In the rare case that a cervical cyst has an unusual appearance or is accompanied by the signs and symptoms suggestive of cervical cancer, such as abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge, pelvic pain, or pain during intercourse, your doctor may perform a colposcopic exam. Colposcopy is a procedure in which your doctor inserts a speculum just as when taking a Pap test sample, but uses a special magnifying instrument to visualize the cervix. If the cyst appears abnormal during a colposcopic exam, your doctor may perform a biopsy to rule out cancer.
- Lentz GM. History, physical examination, and preventive health care: General, gynecologic, and psychosocial history and examination, health care maintenance, disease prevention. In: Katz VL, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/118916327-3/799751001/1524/56.html. Accessed Feb. 3, 2009.
- Gala RB. Benign disorders of the lower reproductive tract. In: Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3151295. Accessed Feb. 3, 2009.
