Diagnostic dilation and curettage: a reappraisal.

Diagnostic dilation and curettage (D & C) is widely considered to be the method of choice for obtaining samples of endometrium for histologic examination, although the scientific basis for this assumption is elusive. Despite extensive use of D & C, the tissue yield and diagnostic accuracy of this technique have not been adequately evaluated. More is known about these features of a newer diagnostic procedure, Vabra aspiration (VA). VA also appears to be safer, less expensive, and more convenient than D & C. Until the alleged benefits of diagnostic D & C can be shown to outweigh its risks and costs (approaching one billion dollars per year in the United States alone), D & C probably should not be the primary procedure used for obtaining most samples of endometrium.