Using platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of symptomatic cervical ectopy

To evaluate the effectiveness of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) applications in the treatment of benign cervical ectopy.

Symptomatic women with benign cervical ectopy (n=120) were randomized to a PRP or a laser group. In the PRP group, PRP was applied twice on the cervical erosion with a 1-week interval. In the laser group, an Nd-YAG laser was used once for tissue vaporization.

The complete cure rates were 93.7% for the PRP and 92.4% for the laser group (P>0.05). The mean time to re-epithelialization was significantly shorter in the PRP (6.41 ± 2.05 weeks) than in the laser group (8.28 ± 1.72 weeks) (P<0.01). The rate of adverse treatment effects (i.e. vaginal discharge or vaginal bleeding) was much lower in the PRP than that in the laser group (P<0.01) and the effects were milder. Eleven patients in the PRP group had mild or moderate vaginal bleeding after treatment but none had heavy bleeding. Of 25 patients with vaginal bleeding in the laser group, 2 had heavy bleeding necessitating tamponade.

Autologous PRP applications appear promising for the treatment of cervical ectopy in symptomatic women, as they generate a shorter tissue healing time and milder adverse effects than laser treatment.