Abstract
The main causes of error (false negatives) in the colpocytologic diagnosis: of endometrial neoplasms are pointed out. A diagnostic method is exposed, which is based on removal by aspiration — under colposcopic control — of the material excreted through the external uterine orifice following uterine contraction induced by i. v. administration of methylergobasine (methergin).
The following advantages are obtained with the present method: a) a higher percentage of endometrial cells in the cytologic preparation, b) absence of degenerative phenomena induced by the permanence within the vagina, and c) frequent recovery of small fragments of neoplastic tissue which facilitate the diagnosis.
A series of 27 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma is presented: a positive diagnosis has been attained in 24 cases, and a suspect diagnosis in 1, with an accuracy percentage much higher than that obtained by colpocytologic smears carried out by simple vaginal aspiration. In 20 cases of hyperplastic non-tumoral forms of the endometrium, examined by the same technique, no finding of false positivity has been observed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.