Since aspiration curettage is increasingly common, we undertook a study aimed at comparing the histological suitability of samples acquired by this method to conventional curettage methods. Both types of curettage were performed on 123 women aged 23-76. Before undergoing aspiration curettage, women received 50 mg. Pethidine and .01 mg. Atropine/kg. body weight. Anesthetics for conventional curettage were hexabarbitol and nitrous oxide. Histological reports on samples acquired by both methods of curettage were identical in ale 15 cases of breakthrough bleeding, in all 6 patients with hypermenorrhea, in both patients on whom the procedure was done for diagnostic purposes, and in 18 of 21 cases of long-term bleeding. 47 of 63 women with post-menopausal bleeding had identical findings in both samples; 9 of these women had significant findings in the conventionally obtained sample only and 7 in the aspirated sample only. Of 16 cases of cervical polyps detected in the conventional curettage samples, only 3 were simultaneously discovered in the aspirated samples. 5 cases of uterine cancer were simultaneously detected in both samples. Aspiration curettage dectected cervical cancer in one case where conventional caurettage did not, but one case of cervical cancer in conjunction with polyps was not detected by aspiration curettage. Thus, except in cases where cervical polyps are suspected the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of aspiration curettage is high. An advantage of aspiration curettage is that it need not be done under general anesthesia and may be done on an out-patient basis. This reduces surgical risks to the patient and promotes the efficient utilization of hospital facilities.