Curettage

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Curettage, in surgery, is the use of a curette to remove tissue by scraping or scooping. It may be used to obtain a biopsy of a mass to determine if it is a granuloma, neoplasm, or some other tumor. It is often employed prior to definitive excisional surgery to more precisely deliniate the extent of a tumour. In selected cases, curettage may be employed to treat certain 'low risk' skin cancers such as superficial BCC. Rarely, curettage may be employed palliatively to debulk masses.

An excellent review article covering the key aspects pertaining to effective deployment of curettage and electrodessication in treating skin cancers is published in the Australasian Journal of Dermatology; by Oxford dermatologists Sheridan and Dawber.

See also: Misoprostol (Cytotec).