CLINICAL USEFULNESS OF PIPELLE ENDOMETRIAL SAMPLING

Abstract

The most study was conducted to determine the clinical usefulness of Pipelle endometrial sampling with regards to sample adequacy and patient acceptability. It was prospective observational single centre study conducted at Combined Military Hospital Peshawar from Dec 2001 to Dec 2002 on 350 patients undergoing endometrial biopsy.

In this cross- sectional study, the study group comprised ladies between 35 -70 years reporting to Gynaecology department with abnormal uterine bleeding. All of them underwent Pipelle endometrial sampling and a total of 350 endometrial samples were taken and analyzed. Histopathology of endometrium was compared with results of samples taken by dilatation and curettage or hysterectomy where these were indicated.

The study revealed sample adequacy of 98% .The only inadequate samples were from postmenopausal ladies with atrophic endometrium. Endometrial carcinoma could be picked up in four cases. The frequency distribution of endometrial pathologies in different age groups were also analyzed. The procedure proved to be simple, acceptable, accurate, and cost effective. The results from this study when compared with other population based studies, showed a higher proportion of successful samplings. This difference is due to double sampling technique used in the study.

Pipelle sampling should replace diagnostic dilatation and curettage as much as possible. Double sampling technique remarkably improves sensitivity of procedure.