TOP

Growths are abnormal collections of tissue usually causing a swelling or a lump. Most growths are not cancer. Growths can occur anywhere in the female genital tract. They are discovered either by the patient or during a routine examination by a medical practitioner. If the person has regular routine examinations, it is more likely that it will be discovered during an examination and that the growth will still be small.

The terms benign and malignant are used to describe growths. Benign growths are slow growing and compress the surrounding tissue, never invading them. A malignant growth is fast growing and it infiltrates (growing into) the surrounding tissue. The usual treatment is surgical removal of the growth.

	Basics of Benign growths With this figure it is clear that complete surgical removal will be relatively easy. The basement membrane is also intact.
	Basics of malignant growths The destruction caused by the malignant cells is clear. The basement membrane is destroyed and the deeper tissues invaded. The tumor spreads much further than the surface lesion indicates. Complete surgical removal will be very difficult.

Growths are not the only cause of lumps. Blocked glands and abnormal fluid collections can also cause lump formation. This is an important cause of lumps in the female reproductive organs.

Graphical explanations of how blocked glands cause lumps

	There is an indention from the surface epithelium into the deeper tissues. The indention forms a tube like structure that extends into the deeper tissues The cells in the deeper part of the indention change and become glandular cells. There are different kinds of glands. Sebaceous glands produce oily substances, mucus glands produce mucous ( flem), sweat glands produces sweat. In the intestinal tracts there are glands that produce different kinds of digestive juices.
	This drawing illustrates a blockage in the tube that transports the glandular secretion to the surface.
	This drawing illustrates the effects of the blockage. The glandular tissue continues to secrete but because the blockage the secretions can't escape to the surface and cause swelling.
	This drawing illustrates how the blocked gland becomes a lump.