Outpatient endometrial sampling with Endocyte: comparative study of its effectiveness with endometrial biopsy

The endometrium was sampled in the office with the Endocyte, a disposable plastic brush. The aim of the study was to assess its clinical characteristics and diagnostic yield with respect to cytology and histology. One hundred eighty of the 200 women sampled were 46 years and older, and 65.5% of them were asymptomatic but at risk for corpus carcinoma. In every case, brushing was controlled by subsequent biopsy. Brushing was safe, fast, and simple. Patient acceptance for future tests with Endocyte was 100%, compared to 40% with biopsy. Satisfactory samples for cytologic diagnosis were obtained in 92% of the patients with brushing and in 90% with biopsy-obtained histology. Endocyte cytology confirmed biopsy-proved hyperplasia (36 cases) and carcinoma (two cases) in 80.5 and 100% of the cases, respectively; 19.5% of hyperplasias were underdiagnosed as normal endometrium. No false-positive diagnosis was made. Fifty percent of mini-biopsies with the Endocyte were unsatisfactory for diagnosis. The results indicate that, provided endometrial cytologic expertise is available, the Endocyte is useful for screening asymptomatic women at risk for endometrial carcinoma and its precursors.