Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System

{{Short description|System of standardizing research reporting on pelvic organ prolapse}}

{{Technical|date=May 2020}}

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| name = Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System

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| purpose = assessing the degree of prolapse of pelvic organs

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The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantifications System (POP-Q) is a system for assessing the degree of prolapse of pelvic organs to help standardize diagnosing, comparing, documenting, and sharing of clinical findings.{{Cite journal|last1=Persu|first1=C|last2=Chapple|first2=CR|last3=Cauni|first3=V|last4=Gutue|first4=S|last5=Geavlete|first5=P|date=2011-02-15|title=Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System (POP–Q) – a new era in pelvic prolapse staging|journal=Journal of Medicine and Life|volume=4|issue=1|pages=75–81|issn=1844-122X|pmc=3056425|pmid=21505577}} This assessment is the most frequently used{{Cite journal|last1=Beckley|first1=Ian|last2=Harris|first2=Neil|date=2013-03-26|title=Pelvic organ prolapse: a urology perspective|journal=Journal of Clinical Urology|language=en|volume=6|issue=2|pages=68–76|doi=10.1177/2051415812472675|s2cid=75886698}}{{Cite journal|last1=Boyd|first1=S. S.|last2=O'Sullivan|first2=D. M.|last3=Tulikangas|first3=P.|date=2017-03-01|title=29: Implementation of the pelvic organ prolapse quantification system in peer-reviewed journals|url=http://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(16)46366-0/fulltext|journal=American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology|language=en|volume=216|issue=3|pages=S591|doi=10.1016/j.ajog.2016.12.076|issn=0002-9378|doi-access=free}} among research publications related to pelvic organ prolapse.

When assessed using the POP-Q, the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse is estimated to be up to 50% while diagnosis by symptoms has a prevalence of 3–6%. Some advocate that the system of assessment be modified.{{Cite journal|last1=Oyama|first1=Ian A.|last2=Steinberg|first2=Adam C.|last3=Watai|first3=Travis K.|last4=Minaglia|first4=Steven M.|title=Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification Use in the Literature|journal=Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery|volume=18|issue=1|pages=33–34|doi=10.1097/spv.0b013e31823bd1ab|pmid=22453265|year=2012|s2cid=26251358}}

The POP-Q was developed in 1996, it quantifies the descent of pelvic organs into the vagina.{{Cite book|title=Williams gynecology|date=2012|publisher=McGraw-Hill Medical|last1=Hoffman |first1=Barbara L. |last2=Williams |first2=J. Whitridge |author2-link=John Whitridge Williams |isbn=9780071716727|edition=2nd|location=New York|pages=647–653|oclc=779244257}} The POP-Q provides reliable description of the support of the anterior, posterior and apical vaginal wall. It uses objective and precise distance measurements to the reference point, the hymen. Cystocele and prolapse of the vagina from other causes is staged using POP-Q criteria and can range from good support (no descent into the vagina) reported as a POP-Q stage 0 or I to a POP-Q score of IV, which includes prolapse beyond the hymen. It also used to quantify the movement of other structures into the vaginal lumen and their descent.{{Cite journal|last1=Barber|first1=Matthew D.|last2=Maher|first2=Christopher|date=2013-11-01|title=Epidemiology and outcome assessment of pelvic organ prolapse|journal=International Urogynecology Journal|language=en|volume=24|issue=11|pages=1783–1790|doi=10.1007/s00192-013-2169-9|pmid=24142054|s2cid=9305151|issn=0937-3462}}