Is dilatation and curettage obsolete for diagnosing intrauterine disorders in premenopausal patients with persistent abnormal uterine bleeding?

BACKGROUND

To determine the predictive value of dilatation and curettage (D&C) for diagnosing intrauterine disorders in patients with persistent abnormal uterine bleeding.

METHODS

An observational descriptive study was performed in a large university-affiliated teaching hospital. The suspicion of intrauterine disorders described in theater-reports involving D&C was compared with the hysteroscopical findings in 131 premenopausal patients with persistent complaints of abnormal uterine bleeding who were referred by other gynecologists within six months after D&C. Pre-test probability (prevalence), post-test probabilities (predictive values) and likelihood-ratio's were calculated.

RESULTS

The pre-test probability for all intrauterine disorders was 0.49. The post-test probabilities for a 'suspect' and a 'not suspect' D&C were 0.61 and 0.46 respectively with an overlap of confidence-intervals. The corresponding likelihood-ratio's were 1.69 and 0.87 respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

D&C findings were of no value in the prediction of the presence or absence of intrauterine disorders in this population with persistent complaints.