title: Prospective comparison of biopsy results from curettage and hysteroscopy in postmenopausal uterine bleeding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of biopsy by dilatation and curettage in postmenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective observational study conducted with 112 consecutive postmenopausal women. Biopsy by dilatation and curettage was immediately followed by hysteroscopic biopsy and the histologic results were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By curettage, although performed under anesthesia, 3/3 (100%) cases of endometrial hyperplasia were reported as normal proliferative endometrium. There were two endometrial cancers (1.8%) and one case was missed as normal endometrium by curettage. Among endometrial polyps, only 3/39 (7.7%) cases were diagnosed by curettage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In postmenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding, biopsy by curettage may be not reliable for evaluation of endometrial pathology.
authors.affiliation: Center for Uterine, National Cancer Center, Goyang-si, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Ock
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min Hyung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Heung Yeol
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D003475:Curettage / Q000379:methods*; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014599:Uterus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery