Endometrial curettage at the time of cervical conization

Endometrial curettage often is done as a routine procedure at the time of cervical conization, although the indications for this are unclear. Of 207 consecutive cone biopsies done recently at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, 199 (96%) included endometrial curettage. Two patients exhibited mild endometrial hyperplasia; the rest had no significant abnormality. Three uterine perforations (1.5%) occurred. Routine endometrial curettage is not necessary at the time of conization, and should be limited to patients with specific indications for sampling the endometrium, based on history, physical examination, and the finding of abnormal glandular cells on cytology. It is estimated that the elimination of routine curettage would result in a savings of over $100 per patient.