Value of endometrial aspiration cytology in assessing endometrial status in symptomatic peri and postmenopausal women

Endometrial aspiration cytology and curettage were done on fifty one patients, randomly selected from three hundred and nineteen peri and post menopausal patients, who presented with menstrual cycle related complaints. The material obtained on aspiration was made into smears and cell block. The diagnoses of the aspirate and the curettage were made independently and later correlated The sensitivity of the procedure was 81.63% and the specificity was 83.33% A significant correlation was observed between cytologic and histopathologic diagnosis. In hyperplastic states, while on cytology, the diagnosis was made, the degree of hyperplasia was possible only in cell block and in paraffin sections. Thus the low cost feasibility and the sensitivity makes endometrial aspiration a useful diagnostic procedure for screening the endometrial status. However, a negative result does not rule out a malignant process, especially in persistently symptomatic patients and further investigations are mandatory.