Endocervical curettage in the evaluation of cervical disease in patients with adequate colposcopy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of endocervical curettage in the outpatient management of women with cervical neoplasia. From 1975-1985, 1500 patients were evaluated in our colposcopy clinic. Endocervical curettage was done routinely, even when colposcopy was adequate; 122 patients with abnormal cytology, an adequate colposcopic examination, and dysplastic epithelium in the endocervical curettings underwent conization. Of these 122 patients, 111 (91%) had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia on cone, one had microinvasion, and none had invasive cancer. In this group, there were 11 patients with abnormal cytology, normal coloposcopically directed biopsies of the ectocervix, and positive endocervical curettages. Nine of these 11 had dysplasia confirmed by conization, which would have been missed if endocervical curettage had not been performed.