The Pipelle endometrial suction curette: how useful is it in clinical practice?

The Pipelle endometrial sampler is gaining popularity as an alternative to formal dilatation and curettage (D&C). This study demonstrates that the Pipelle reduces the number of D&Cs required to assess the endometrium by 65%. This has significant benefits in terms of patient safety and cost. If an inadequate sample is obtained, which occurs most commonly in the postmenopausal patient, there may be a temptation to ascribe this to the presence of an atrophic endometrium. This study, however, finds a significant chance of an underlying carcinoma in these cases. Thus whereas the Pipelle sampler has clinical usefulness when a sample sufficient for histological analysis is obtained, an equivocal result must lead to further investigation.