title: [Endocervical curretage: an analysis of results in 1997 women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the value of endocervical curettage (ECC) in the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer, and the necessity of ECC during colposcopic examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the high prevalent area of cervical cancer in Shanxi Province, China, a total of 1997 women aged 35 approximately 45 years old were enrolled. Cervical cytology, colposcopy and targeted multiple biopsies, as well as ECC were performed for all women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 1997 women received ECC, 31 was positive for abnormal histologic changes with a frequency of 1.6%. Of the 31 cases, 9 had low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL, 0.5%), 20 had high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL, 1.0%), and 2 had squamous-cell carcinoma. No pathologic diagnosis could be made in 131 women because the tissue curretaged was insufficient. The women with positive cytologic findings had higher frequency (5.3%) of abnormal ECC than those with negative cytologic findings (0.3%). There was positive correlation between the frequency of abnormal ECC and the grade of cytolologic findings. Abnormal ECC was present in 9.1% of those with unsatisfactory colposcopy while 1.3% of those with satisfactory colposcopy (P < 0.01). The frequency of abnormal ECC was 0.6% in patients with negative colpocopy, 0.9% in LSIL and 24.1% in HSIL. Frequency of abnormal ECC in women with a negative colposcopy or LSIL was significantly lower than that with HSIL. The positive rate of ECC pathologically verified was 3.3% in LSIL, 22.2% in HSIL and 50.0% in squamous carcinoma, respectively (P < 0.01). Of the 316 patients with positive cytology but negative colposcopy, ECC was abnormal in 8 (2.5%), of which HSIL cytologically verified was in 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If cytology or colposcopy shows HSIL or more severe changes, and cytology is positive while colposcopy is unsatisfactory, ECC should be done routinely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology Oncology, Cancer Institute (Hospital), Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ling-ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ai-ling
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: You-lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qin-jing
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology; D003127:Colposcopy; D004107:Dilatation and Curettage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology