Clinical Value of Negative-Pressure Endometrial Sampling Technique in Screening Endometrial Tuberculosis

Area of Science:

• Gynecology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pathology

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health concern, with latent infection affecting 25% of the population.
• Extrapulmonary TB, including female genital TB, is increasing and contributes to infertility.
• Endometrial TB often presents asymptomatically, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical utility of negative-pressure endometrial sampling for screening endometrial TB.
• To compare negative-pressure sampling with fractional curettage in terms of pain, time, satisfaction, diagnostic efficiency, and safety.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-four patients with suspected endometrial TB were divided into two groups: negative-pressure aspiration (n=48) and fractional curettage (n=36).
• Key metrics assessed included pain scores (FRS), sampling time, patient satisfaction, diagnostic efficiency, and safety.
• Diagnostic efficiency was compared against pathological examination of surgical samples as the criterion standard.

Main Results:

• The negative-pressure aspiration group reported significantly lower pain scores and shorter sampling times compared to the fractional curettage group (P<0.05).
• Patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the negative-pressure aspiration group (P<0.05).
• Negative-pressure sampling demonstrated a higher kappa value (0.692 vs. 0.667), higher sensitivity (89.66% vs. 80.00%), and lower specificity (78.95% vs. 87.50%) than fractional curettage.

Conclusions:

• Negative-pressure endometrial sampling is a sensitive method for screening endometrial TB.
• This technique reduces sampling-related pain and time, enhancing patient satisfaction.
• It offers a valuable alternative for endometrial TB screening, particularly in improving patient experience.