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D and C

D and C (dilatation and curettage) is a procedure in which the vaginal canal is held open with a speculum and the cervix is dilated with a metal rod. A curette is then passed through the cervical canal into the uterine cavity where endometrial tissue is scraped away and collected for examination.

Review Date: 4/13/2006
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. Medical Illustration Team. Previously reviewed by Dominic Marchiano, M.D., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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