Clinical value of dilatation and curettage for abnormal uterine bleeding

Dilatation and curettage was performed under anesthesia in outpatients in 1 837 patients aged over 26 with a history of abnormal uterine bleeding not a ssociated with pregnancy or ovulation. Fifty-one (2.8%) patients were found to have malignant disease. Of these, 47 patients had endometrial carcinoma . An additional 111 (6.0%) patients were found to have endometrial hyperpla sia. The incidence of either malignant disease or endometrial hyperplasia w as 9.7% in patients over the age of 40. Complications of this method were n oted in 12 (0.7%) patients; only three patients needed to stay in hospital.