Endometrial washings histological and cytological assessment of material obtained with an intrauterine jet washing device.

The histological and cytological assessment of material obtained with an intrauterine jet washing device from 138 patients with postmenopausal bleeding, abnormal premenopausal bleeding or infertility is presented. In the first part of the study 55 washings were examined by histological techniques and the findings compared with those in material subsequently obtained by curettage or endometrial biopsy. Only 32 (58 per cent) of the washings were satisfactory for evaluation of the endometrium compared with 46 (84 per cent) of the curettings. When, in the second part of the study the washings in 83 cases were examined by both histological and cytological methods, 76 (92 per cent) were satisfactory compared with 59 (71 per cent) of the curettings. Cytological examination of the washings in the postmenopausal women provided a significantly higher proportion of satisfactory specimens than histological examination alone or evaluation of the curettings. In the whole study, three cases of endometrial carcinoma were diagnosed by endometrial washings and by curettage, while in six cases of endometrial hyperplasia one false negative was obtained by histological examination of the washings and one by examination of the curettings. This study shows that endometrial samples obtained with the intrauterine jet washer provide information about the endometrium which is comparable with that obtained by conventional curettage, and also that in postmenopausal women endometrial lavage may be more reliable than curettage.