Prehysterectomy curettage
Stock, R.J.; Kanbour, A.
Obstetrics and Gynecology 45(5): 537-541
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-7844 PMID: 1124168 Document Number: 504371
The efficacy of prehysterectomy curettage in screening for endometrial cancer was evaluated by 1) assessing the extent of prehysterectomy curettage in 50 postoperative uterine specimens, 2) a review of clinical records to assess recognition of cancer from curettage and 3) analysis of opened uteri removed without preoperative diagnosis for the presence of gross endometrial lesion. The routine prehysterectomy curettage was found to be incomplete in 60% of the cases. In evaluating the clinical recognition of curetted malignant material, a failure to suspect malignant tissue was found in 45% of the cases. In the open uterine specimens for which there was no preoperative diagnosis, gross lesions were found in 74.5%. It would appear, therefore, that gross examination of the excised uterus would be a more accurate way of gross screening for possible endometrial malignancy.