Medical Training for Health

Curettage of the uterus is a way to get tissue from the endometrium (the innermost layer of the uterus) for microscopic study. Diagnose hormonal changes, polyps or find evidence of tumors. It is done when the rhythms are menstrual disturbances, irregular vaginal bleeding or changes in exploration or in radiological studies (mainly ultrasound) that require a pathological study to know the origin. Curettage is also used to stop bleeding when it is abundant in abortions or to remove retained products.

To do so is usually general or spinal anesthesia. First open the cervix through a series of dilators (rod-shaped) having a progressively increasing diameter until it reaches sufficient size to introduce the knife with which to obtain the tissue. Complications are rare and most important is the possibility of perforating the uterus by introducing the dilators or the curette.

Endometrial biopsies can also be obtained by hysteroscopy. In this case we introduce a tube into the uterus (hysteroscope) allows the physician to look inside the uterine cavity and obtain samples of polyps or other lesions suspicious for malignancy. As curettage is usually performed in the operating room with general or spinal anesthesia. It requires some expansion and inflation of the uterine body with air to the endometrium. Complications are similar to those of the curettage although less frequent, and as well provides more information than curettage, hysteroscopy is performed with increasing frequency.

Another procedure is to obtain samples for cytology. The cytology is performed without anesthesia because it is not painful and is collected with a spatula and cells scraped a stick on the uterus and vagina to try to detect the earliest possible appearance of a tumor. Is routinely performed in the office of gynecologist in annual reviews.

credit to: Dr. Antonio Barrasa Shaw, Dr. Carl J. Brandt, Dr. John Pillinger, Dr. Philip Owen