A method for remedying data corruption in a first circuit, which may be a CAM or a TCAM. The method includes providing a RAM circuit external to the first circuit, the RAM circuit being configured for storing error detection information for data stored in the first circuit. The method also includes scrubbing the data stored in the first circuit during scrubbing cycles of the first circuit. The scrubbing corrects stored bit patterns read from the first circuit that fail an error detection test using error detection information corresponding to individual ones of the stored bit patterns. In an embodiment, ECC may be employed for the error detection test and also to correct any single bit error found.