Endopap(R)- versus Pipelle(R)-sampling in the diagnosis of postmenopausal endometrial disease

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of Endopap(R)- and Pipelle(R)-sampling in the diagnosis of postmenopausal disease. Study Design: Observational study in the setting of a University Hospital. One hundred and six consecutive postmenopausal women presenting with uterine bleeding or endometrial cells on cervical cytology underwent an Endopap(R) sampling as well as a Pipelle(R) biopsy. Thereafter, 89 of those women underwent a hysteroscopy and curettage (n = 71) or a hysterectomy (n = 18). The diagnostic accuracy of Pipelle(R) and Endopap(R) was assessed against the final diagnosis. Results: Endometrial carcinoma was found in five cases (6%), benign disease in 34 (38%). The sensitivity of Endopap(R) and Pipelle(R) for the detection of endometrial disease was 56 and 51%, respectively, with a specificity of 94 and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity for endometrial carcinoma was 80% for Endopap(R) and 100% for Pipelle(R). Conclusion: Our data tend to favor Pipelle(R) against Endopap(R) as diagnostic tool in endometrial disease in symptomatic postmenopausal women.