American Research Journal of Nursing

Objectives: To determine whether gynecologists should treat cervical cysts discovered on speculum examination or by ultrasonography. Materials and methods: A prospective Cohort study done at the Woman's Health Center of Assiut University, Egypt as a tertiary care referral facility. It comprised cases with clinical and sonographic diagnosis of cervical cysts. Cervical swabs as well as cysts' aspirates were examined bacteriologically and cytologically. Cyst aspirate of these patients were evaluated for IL8, IL10 and MMP-9. The main outcome measures included bacteriologic, cytologic and immunochemical findings of cervical cysts aspirate. Results: Cervical cysts associated with negative cervical swabs were diagnosed in 75 cases. The mean size of the cervical cyst was 2.18 ± 0.609 cm. It was found that 61.4 % of cysts were cytologically and bacteriologically infected despite negative cervical swabs. Chlamydia Trachomatis, Gardenella Vaginalis, GBS and Mycoplasma hominis were detected in 13.33 %, 24 %,14.67 % and 14.67% of infected cysts respectively. Aspirate of the infected cysts had elevated IL-8 (P= 0.000), and had increased IL-10 (P= 0.000) in comparison with non infected cysts, while increased MMP-9 was higher in patients with persistent vaginal discharge and patients with deep dyspareunia more than the patients with unexplained infertility (P= 0.000). Conclusions: Cervical cysts should not be ignored as a potential cause of common gynecological symptoms especially large sized cysts. Being infected and associated with elevated inflammatory markers in 61.4% in this study would suggest routine prompt management of cervical cysts whenever clinically or sonographically diagnosed.