Accuracy of endometrial biopsy with the Cornier pipelle for diagnosis of endometrial cancer and atypical hyperplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the accuracy of endometrial biopsy with the Cornier pipelle in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer and atypical endometrial hyperplasia in our milieu.


METHODS
We reviewed 1,535 anatomopathologic reports on endometrial biopsies taken from outpatients using the Cornier pipelle between 1997 and 2000, in pre- and postmenopausal patients with abnormal vaginal bleeding. In 168 patients (10.9%), curettage and/or hysterectomy was subsequently carried out. In these cases, the anatomopathologic reports were compared to determine sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and likelihood ratio (LR).


RESULTS
Sensitivity was 84.2%, specificity was 99.1%, accuracy was 96.9%, PPV was 94.1%, NPV was 93.7% and LR was 93.5. In 249 cases (16.09%) the material was insufficient for study.


CONCLUSIONS
We determined that endometrial biopsy taken with the Cornier pipelle is, as we practice it, an accurate method for diagnosis of endometrial cancer and its precursor, atypical hyperplasia.
Machado
F
F
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Comarcal del Noroeste, Caravaca de la Cruz Murcia, Spain.
Moreno
J
J
Carazo
M
M
León
J
J
Fiol
G
G
Serna
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004107:Dilatation and Curettage / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity