What does a dilated cervical os mean in a scan report?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I am very sorry to hear about your wife's miscarriage. I will explain everything clearly to you. As you said, she had a miscarriage recently. Her laboratory reports or scan (the attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity) showed that the internal cervical os is dilated. There are no significant previous medical issues.

The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb) that opens into the vagina. It has two openings internal os (opens into the uterus) and the external os (opens into the vagina). Dilation of the internal os means the cervix was open from the uterus side; this is abnormal during pregnancy, because normally the cervix should stay closed and tight until labor.

Some common causes of internal os dilation (especially after a miscarriage) are as follows:

1. Inevitable or incomplete miscarriage.

2. If the miscarriage is happening or not fully complete, the cervix opens to allow the pregnancy tissue to pass out.

3. Cervical insufficiency (incompetent cervix).

4. Sometimes, the cervix is weak and opens too early in pregnancy without pain or contractions.

5. This usually leads to second-trimester miscarriages (after 12 to 14 weeks), but can also cause earlier losses in some cases.

6. Infection or inflammation.

7. Sometimes infection inside the uterus (chorioamnionitis) can cause early opening of the cervix.

8. Previous procedures or trauma to the cervix.

9. Past surgeries like D and C (dilation and curettage), cervical biopsy, or even multiple miscarriages can weaken the cervix over time.

But as you said, your wife has no previous complaints, considering this may be the first time. After a miscarriage, cervical dilation is normal because the uterus is emptying. For future pregnancies, you should know that if she has a cervical weakness (cervical insufficiency), it increases the risk of another miscarriage if not treated.

Cervical weakness can be treated in the next pregnancy with a cerclage (a stitch placed around the cervix to keep it closed). So, I suggest you do a follow-up ultrasound to check if the uterus has emptied. Pelvic rest (no heavy lifting, no intercourse) until the cervix and uterus heal.

For further queries, reach out to me.

I hope this helps you.

Thank you.