Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Aim. To identify clinical and anamnestic predictors of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women of reproductive age. Design. Prospective comparative study. Materials and methods. The study included 116 women of reproductive age. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I consisted of 86 women with stage II–III POP according to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System; Group II (control) consisted of 30 women without POP. Anthropometric data, obstetric and gynecologic history, and the presence of somatic conditions were analyzed. Perineometry was performed (vaginal palpation with results assessed using the Oxford scale, pneumoperineometry). T.I. Kadurina's scale was used to identify undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (UCTD). Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire. Results. In Group I, the mean score for vaginal muscle assessment was 1.45 ± 0.86, compared to 2.93 ± 0.74 in the Group II (p < 0.001). Electronic perineometry also revealed significantly lower results in Group I (64.12 ± 6.88 vs 80.0 ± 7.14 mmHg; p < 0.001). Dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles leads to the development of pelvic organ prolapse. According to obstetric history, the mean number of pregnancies in Group I was 3.57 ± 1.88, while in Group II it stood at 1.22 ± 0.85 (p < 0.001). Only one patient (1.2%) in Group I had never been pregnant, compared to 4 participants (13.3%) in Group II. The mean number of deliveries in Group I was 2.38 ± 1.19, and 1.27 ± 0.83 in Group II (p < 0.001). In Group I, 33 women (38.8%) had three or more deliveries, whereas in the Group II, only one participant (3.8%) fell into this category (p < 0.001). Women with pelvic organ prolapse were more likely to give birth to infants weighing over 4 000 g: 19 (22.3%) vs. 2 (7.7%) in the control group (p < 0.001). According to the FSFI questionnaire, patients with POP exhibited lower sexual function scores across all domains, particularly in the lubrication domain (1.91 ± 1.05 vs. 4.75 ± 0.75 points in the control group) and the orgasm domain (1.92 ± 0.8 vs. 4.51 ± 0.83 points in the control group). The mean overall FSFI score in Group I was 12.99 ± 3.89 points, which was twice as low as that in the Group II (26.25 ± 2.62 points). The differences between the groups were statistically significant across all domains (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Statistically significant clinical and anamnestic predictors of POP were more than 3 pregnancies, more than 2 deliveries, perineal trauma during childbirth, delivery of a macrosomic infant (over 4 000 g), obesity, and UCTD. A moderate inverse correlation was found between T.I. Kadurina's scale scores and perineometry results. Patients of reproductive age sought medical care on average 4 years after the onset of the first POP symptoms, which led to the development of more advanced and challenging forms. Women with POP very frequently exhibited reduced pelvic floor muscle strength and sexual dysfunction, allowing us to conclude that they suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction. Keywords: pelvic organ prolapse, sexual dysfunction, pelvic descent syndrome, reproductive age, predictors
Source: Doctor Ru
Language: English
Subfield: Urology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204175288