Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background & Aim: Pelvic organ prolapse which is defined as displacement of bladder, uterus or rectum from their normal position downward is very common in elder women and causes significant morbidity. It is necessary to have a standard staging to investigate this problem, factors influencing it, and the effect of different therapeutic procedures on the course of disease. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse in menopausal women using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification examination and to identify factors associated with prolapse. Patients & Method: 240 menopausal women with intact uteruses who were referred to gynecology clinics with any complaint were included in this cross-sectional study. The subjects underwent a POPQ examination during a maximal valsalva maneuver. In addition, they were asked to complete a questionnaire containing some risk factors associated with pelvic organ prolapse. Results: Evaluation of the obtained data revealed the following: age= 58.6±6.1 years, BMI= 27.1±1.04kg/m2, median vaginal parity= 3(range 0-12), and mean years of age after menopause= 8.6 years. Using POPQ system, the subjects were divided into five stages: stage 0 4.2%(n=10), stage I 28.3%(n=68), stage II 61.7%(n=148), stage III 4.2%(n=10), and stage IV 1.7%(n=4). Age(P<0.001), BMI(P<0.001), education(P=0.001), the number of deliveries(P=0.001), age of the first delivery(P=0.001), age of the last delivery(P=0.001), asthma(P=0.001), and waist to hip ratio(P=0.001) correlated with the stage of prolapse. Conclusion: Some degrees of pelvic organ prolapse are quite common in elder women, a fact which should be considered in clinical approaches to these patients. The risk factors vary depending on the nature of supportive defects which involve anterior, posterior or apical walls.