RO-TAGE biopsy. An improved method of endocervical evaluation.

The colposcopic management of patients with abnormal Papanicolaou smears relies on correlating the examination findings with the cytology and biopsy results. Failure to adequately sample the endocervical canal introduces a possible source of error and could allow an invasive lesion to be missed. In 300 patients subjected to both endocervical curettage and RO-TAGE biopsy (Proto Med Incorporated, Boulder, Colorado), significantly fewer inadequate samples were obtained with RO-TAGE biopsy (1%) or the use of both methods (0.3%) than with curettage alone (4.3%). Therefore, we conclude that RO-TAGE biopsy should be added to every colposcopic examination.