ENDOCERVICAL SAMPLING BY KEVORKIAN CURETTE OR PIPELLE ASPIRATION DEVICE - A RANDOMIZED COMPARISON

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare two means of endocervical sampli ng-the Kevorkian curette and the Pipelle aspiration device (Unimar Co. , Wilton, Conn.)-with respect to patient discomfort, tissue volume, an d specimen adequacy for diagnosis. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-two women under going investigation of abnormal cervical cytologic results were assign ed randomly to endocervical sampling by Kevorkian or Pipelle instrumen ts. Pain associated with the procedure was assessed by having each sub ject indicate her pain level on a visual analog scale. Tissue volume w as graded by examination of the microscopic slides by two investigator s blinded to assignment. Adequacy for diagnosis was evaluated by revie wing pathology reports. RESULTS: Subjects having Pipelle endocervical aspiration (n = 24) had significantly lower mean (+/-SEM) pain scores (27 +/- 5 vs 48.5 +/- 7, p = 0.02) than those in whom the Kevorkian in strument was used (n = 28). However, there were no significant differe nces in tissue volume obtained or in proportions considered adequate f or diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the Pipelle instrument was associate d with less patient discomfort than Kevorkian curettage for endocervic al sampling while providing similar tissue volume and adequacy for dia gnosis.