Electrodesiccation and curettage (ED and C) is a method to remove or destroy many types of benign superficial skin lesions such as warts, seborrheic keratoses, solar keratoses, pyogenic granulomas, and skin tags.

In experienced hands, it is often used as a method to treat skin cancers such as small basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

Electrodesiccation uses monopolar high-frequency electric currents to destroy lesions; curettage is a scraping or scooping technique performed with a dermal curette, which has a round or oval sharp ring.

Electrodesiccation without curettage (as an alternative to shave procedures) is often used to eliminate warts, skin tags, and spider angiomas and to flatten lesions (e.g., melanocytic nevi). Conversely, curettage without electrodesiccation may also be used to remove many of these epidermal lesions.

Curettage is a blind technique in which the specimen cannot always be examined for margin control.

It is fast and economical.

It is useful for difficult-to-reach sites—ear canal, orbit of the eye.

It is useful in areas of poor healing—the lower leg in elderly or diabetic patients.

Secondary infection is uncommon.

The procedure is “blind”; margins of lesions can only be guessed.

Cosmetic results are unpredictable; hypopigmentation and scarring may result.

Healing is by secondary intention and takes 2 to 3 weeks, which is longer than healing after an excisional procedure.

Obtaining biopsy specimens from curettage is discouraged.

Electrodesiccation may be used before or after curettage or used alone.

It causes superficial destruction with a charring of the skin.