Cervicitis

Description

Centered in a sagittal cross-section, the cervix uteri is shown as the cylindrical neck of the uterus between the uterine cavity superiorly and the vaginal vault inferiorly. The cervical canal runs longitudinally from the internal os at the uterine end to the external os opening into the vagina, with the endocervical mucosa lining the canal and the ectocervix facing the vaginal lumen. At the squamocolumnar junction, the transformation zone encircles the external os where stratified squamous epithelium transitions to columnar glandular epithelium, backed by a dense cervical stroma and circumferential smooth muscle. Inflammatory change in cervicitis concentrates clinical attention on the endocervical canal and transformation zone because these surfaces are the usual targets of ascending infection and mucopurulent discharge. That location matters in practice: Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae commonly produce a friable, erythematous endocervix that bleeds on contact during speculum examination, and delayed treatment can progress to pelvic inflammatory disease with tubal scarring and infertility. The same region is also where sampling for cervical cytology and HPV testing is taken, so distinguishing inflammatory reactive change from dysplasia, and recognizing ectropion versus true erosion, becomes a daily teaching point in gynecology. Use this illustration in reproductive anatomy modules, pathology lectures on lower genital tract infection, and OB-GYN clerkship materials that walk learners from gross anatomy to Pap smear technique and colposcopic targeting of the transformation zone. It also suits patient-education diagrams for cervicitis counseling, STI screening workflows, and clinical documentation aids explaining internal versus external os orientation. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.