Abstract
Endometrial aspiration cytology by using Masubuchi's method has been performed in 3, 788 cases at our gynecology clinic and the results are as follows;
1. One hundred and thirty cases or 3.4% of the total were diagnosed as suspicious and 43 cases, 1.1% were as positive. Excluding the cervical lesions of 19 carcinomas and 5 dysplasias, the incidences of suspicious and positive smears were corrected to be 3.2% and 0.7% respectively.
2. Incidences of positive smear in each age group were 0.7% in cases less than 40 years, 0.3% in 5th, 1.1% in 6th and 3.9% in 7th decades of age, and 6.1% in those of 70 and above years. The results reveal higher frequencies are in higher ages among the group of 50 and above years.
3. The cases were grouped into 4 which consisted of 1) the asymptomatic for cancer screening, 2) patients with metrorrhagia, 3) routine pre-operative check and 4) the miscellaneous. The group with highest suspicious and positive rates was that of metrorrhagia showing 6.2% and 1.7% of the rates respectively, whereas rest of the groups revealed lower frequencies of 2.4% and 0.4%. No endometrial carcinoma was detected among the asymptomatic.
4. Among 13 carcinomas of the endometrium 12 cases, 92.3% were diagnosed correctly by the aspiration method, of which result was better than that of conventional methods including brushing technique. Seven benign or atypical endometrial hyperplasias were also detected.
5. Ovarian carcinoma was found in 8 cases. It is emphasized that this harmless aspiration method may be useful for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, when cells of serous type adenocarcinoma are present in ascitic fluid, and even if the invasion does not reach to the uterus.
6. Hormonal diagnoses of endometrial cells were correctly performed in 77.1% of proliferative, 60.0% of ovulatory and 63.6% of secretory phases.
Indications for endometrial aspiration cytology at medical facilities are also discussed.
