Indication

D and C or dilatation and curettage is a procedure to scrape and collect the tissue (endometrium) from inside the uterus.

D and C or uterine scraping may be done to:

diagnose conditions using the tissue samples collected (biopsies)
treat irregular bleeding
remove fetal or placental tissue (used for some elective or therapeutic abortions and to remove any remaining tissue after a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage)

D and C or uterine scraping may be recommended for:

bleeding between periods
heavy menstrual bleeding
bleeding after intercourse
investigation of infertility
uterine fibroids
endometrial polyps
uterine cancer (early diagnosis)
cervical cancer (early diagnosis)
thickening of the uterus (endometrial hyperplasia)
an embedded IUD (intrauterine device)
therapeutic or elective abortion
miscarriage

Review Date: 2/24/2006
Reviewed By: Dominic Marchiano, M.D., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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