Endocervical curettage (ECC) is a procedure in which the

mucous membrane A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It is ...

of the

cervical canal The cervical canal is the spindle-shaped, flattened canal of the cervix, the neck of the uterus. Anatomy The cervical canal communicates with the uterine cavity via the internal orifice of the uterus (or internal os) and with the vagina via the ...

is scraped using a spoon-shaped instrument called a

curette A curette is a surgical instrument designed for scraping or debriding biological tissue or debris in a biopsy, excision, or cleaning procedure. In form, the curette is a small hand tool, often similar in shape to a stylus; at the tip of the cu ...

. The procedure is used to test for abnormal, precancerous conditions, or cervical cancer.Moniak CW, Kutzner S, Adam E, Harden J, Kaufman RH. (2000) Endocervical curettage in evaluating abnormal cervical cytology. J Reprod Med. 45(4):285-92.

References

External links

Endocervical curettage
entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms Gynecological surgery {{surgery-stub