QuestionMy daughter is 4 months pregnant and just found out today that she has LSIL so the questions are... can it be cured completely? Also is it sexually transmitted? Sorry but i have one more doers it lead to genital warts?
AnswerDear Bobbie,
Here is some information regarding LSIL:
Squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) is a term that is used to describe
abnormal changes in the cells on the surface of the cervix. The word squamous
describes thin, flat cells that form the outer surface of the cervix. The word
lesion refers to abnormal tissue. An intraepithelial lesion means that the
abnormal cells are present only in the layer of cells on the surface of the
cervix. A doctor may describe SIL as being low-grade (early changes in the size,
shape, and number of cells) or high-grade (precancerous cells that look very
different from normal cells).
Therefore, LSIL means 'low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion'. This is not
considered cancer and there is a very low rate of cancer with this diagnosis.
High-risk HPV infection is very prevalent in women with LSIL. In fact, nearly
all cases of cervical cancer are associated with human papillomavirus HPV
infection. Approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV,
and another 6.2 million people become newly infected each year. At least 50% of
sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in
their lives. And yes, HPV is transmitted via sexual contact.
There are many kinds of HPV and not all of them cause health problems. Some
kinds of HPV may cause problems like genital warts or cervical cancer. HPV types
16 and 18 cause about 70% of cervical cancers. HPV types 6 and 11 cause about
90% of genital warts. Most people who have a genital HPV infection do not know
they are infected. The virus lives in the skin or mucous membranes and usually
causes no symptoms. Some people get visible genital warts, or have pre-cancerous
changes in the cervix, vulva, anus, or penis. Very rarely, HPV infection results
in anal or genital cancers.
HPV usually goes away on its own, without causing health problems. So an HPV
infection that is found today will most likely not be there a year or two from
now. For this reason, there is often no need to be tested only to find out if
you have HPV now. However, you should get tested for signs of disease that HPV
can cause, such as cervical cancer.
For your daughter, or any woman in a low or moderate risk category, often colposcopy is
not deemed necessary and the treatment of choice is simply more frequent
follow-up Pap smears. This is because of increased HPV prevalence, the fact that
HPV-related cervical intraepithelial abnormalities typically regress on their
own, and the low rate of HSIL in younger women. However, every case should be
evaluated independently and the appropriate treatment will be determined by your
own physician.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you and your daughter well.
Brenda
