Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of dilatation and curettage (D&C) and Pipelle biopsy for the diagnosis of endometrial pathologies and determine whether the amount of endometrial tissue obtained using these techniques is sufficient for further histopathology of hysterectomy specimens.
Materials and methods: Patients undergoing hysterectomy for various indications were evaluated via Pipelle endometrial biopsy or D&C from 2009-2011. A total of 267 women were included with 78 women enrolled in the Pipelle group and 189 in the D&C group. Uterine findings were grouped as normal, hyperplasia, focal lesion, atypia, and atrophy. Histological sections from the Pipelle biopsy or D&C specimens were compared to each other and hysterectomy specimens.
Results: The concordance rate between Pipelle biopsy and hysterectomy was 62% and between D&C and hysterectomy was 67%. The sensitivity of Pipelle biopsy and D&C for detecting hyperplasia was 41.7% and 45%, respectively, and for detecting atypia was 71.4% for both techniques. The sensitivity of detecting atrophic endometrial tissue was significantly higher in the D&C group at 80% compared to 37.5% in the Pipelle biopsy group (p = 0.030). All other parameters were similar in both groups.
Conclusion: Pipelle biopsy and D&C were equally successful for diagnosing endometrial pathologies. Neither Pipelle biopsy nor D&C was adequate for detecting focal endometrial pathologies and endometrial hyperplasia. In contrast, both techniques were sufficient for the diagnosis of atypia. The Pipelle biopsy technique is a reasonable pre-hysterectomy procedure that is more economical, less invasive, and can easily be performed in multiple clinics.