nabothian

Nabothian refers to Naboth’s glands of the cervix and the cysts that can form from them. The term is an eponym, named after the Naboth described in the Hebrew Bible. In medical usage, Nabothian glands are normal mucous-secreting structures within the endocervical canal.

Nabothian glands are located in the mucosa of the cervix and are lined by mucin-secreting columnar epithelium. They contribute to the mucus layer that helps protect the uterus from infection and irritation. Their openings can become blocked or scarred, particularly after inflammation or childbirth, leading to the formation of Nabothian cysts.

Nabothian cysts are small, mucus-filled cavities that arise when the outlets of endocervical glands are covered by squamous epithelium or otherwise obstructed. They are common and usually benign. On pelvic examination they appear as small, translucent, white-to-yellow cysts on the cervix and are typically asymptomatic.

Clinical significance is limited: Nabothian cysts do not predispose to cervical cancer and are not typically associated with symptoms. They are most often discovered incidentally during a routine exam. If there is diagnostic uncertainty or unusual cervical lesions, further evaluation with colposcopy or imaging may be used, but this is uncommon for Nabothian cysts.

Management is usually conservative. No treatment is necessary for asymptomatic cysts. If a cyst is large or symptomatic, a clinician may opt to drain or excise it, or treat any underlying inflammation or infection. Prognosis is excellent, with no known malignant potential.