The Value of Endocervical Curettage in Addition to Biopsies in Women Referred to Colposcopy

In Brief Objective Performing endocervical curettage (ECC) at colposcopy may increase the yield of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or worse (CIN2+) compared to biopsies alone. The additional benefit of ECC in detecting CIN2+ was studied in women with lesion-targeted biopsies (low-grade or worse impression) and women with biopsies of normal-appearing cervix (less than low-grade impression). Methods In this subanalysis of a multicenter study, 126 women referred to colposcopy who had an ECC were included. Multiple directed biopsies were taken from lesions, and a nontargeted biopsy was added if fewer than 4 biopsies were collected. Risk strata of CIN2+ were evaluated based on cytology and colposcopic appearance to identify women for whom ECC would be most valuable. Results The CIN2+ yield of ECC in addition to biopsies was 15 (11.9%) of 126. In women with lesion-targeted biopsies and ECC, the CIN2+ yield of targeted biopsies was 34 (51.5%) of 66, the yield of additional nontargeted biopsies was 1 (1.5%) of 66, and the additional CIN2+ yield of ECC was 5 (7.6%) of 66. The yield in women with nontargeted biopsies only and ECC was 5 (8.3%) 60, and the additional yield for ECC was 10 (16.7%) of 60. Endocervical curettage did not find disease in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance/low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. Conclusions In women with less than low-grade impression and especially those with unsatisfactory colposcopy, the yield of CIN2+ was higher for ECC compared to nontargeted biopsies. The highest yield of CIN2+ from ECC was observed in women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and less than low-grade impression, suggesting that disease is higher up in the endocervix in this group. In a preselected study population of women with less than low-grade colposcopic impression and unsatisfactory colposcopy, there is value in ECC to detect high-grade CIN.