Vabra aspirator and pipelle endometrial suction curette. A comparison.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the Pipelle suction curette with the Vabra aspirating catheter in terms of their ability to obtain a sufficient amount of tissue (> or = 1 mm2 of endometrium) in order to make a histologic diagnosis.


METHODS
A prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover study at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, which serves as the clinical staff of the Dartmouth Medical School.


RESULTS
Agreement between the Pipelle and Vabra was high: 74 of 79 (93.7%) samples. The Pipelle obtained adequate samples in 78 of 79 (98.7%) cases as compared with 75 of 79 (94.9%) for the Vabra. The McNemar test comparing these two proportions, adjusting for the fact that the Pipelle and Vabra readings were taken on the same subjects at the same visits, yielded a nonsignificant result (P = .180).


CONCLUSIONS
The Pipelle and Vabra have equal diagnostic accuracy.
Manganiello
P D
PD
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756-0001, USA. paul.d.manganiello@hitchcock.org
Burrows
L J
LJ
Dain
B J
BJ
Gonzalez
J
J
D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D004107:Dilatation and Curettage / Q000379:methods*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity