endocervical curettage
(en-doh-SER-vih-kul kyoo-reh-TAZH)
A procedure done after an abnormal Pap test result in which a sample of tissue is scraped from the lining of the cervical canal (the inner part of the cervix that connects the uterus to the vagina) using a spoon-shaped instrument called a curette. The tissue is then checked under a microscope for signs of disease. An endocervical curettage may be done at the same time as a colposcopy (a procedure that uses a lighted, magnifying instrument to examine the cervix, vagina, and vulva).