THE LEICESTER ENDOMETRIAL NEEDLE SAMPLER - A NOVEL DEVICE FOR ENDOMETRIAL AND MYOMETRIAL JUNCTIONAL ZONE BIOPSY

A 48-cm-long, fine (16 gauge) needle was purpose-built to our design f or full-thickness endometrial sampling. It is driven by a high-speed c utting device that has a two-step action-loaded spring, and is adjuste d to a penetration depth of 16 mm. rain and tolerance were assessed on a visual analogue scale. The histologic diagnosis obtained by this de vice, the Leicester Endometrial Needle Sampler, was compared with that of Pipelle endometrial sampling in 40 patients at the end of panorami c hysteroscopy under local anesthesia. The patients' mean age was 51 y ears (range 39-60) and the mean parity was 2.4 (range 0-6). The mean ( a standard deviation) pain score was 3.7 +/- 2.2 and the mean tolerabi lity score was 4.4 +/- 3.6. The technique helped to procure a full-thi ckness endometrial biopsy in all cases, from targeted areas including the myometrial junctional zone, with 100% efficiency. ((C) 1997 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists).