Pelvic organ prolapse

In addition to providing information about the physiopathology of prolapse – as we will see in the next section – ultrasound imaging also allows us to quantify prolapse it in a very simple way. Starting from the sagittal plane, prolapse can be quantified using the pubic symphysis as a line of reference.

Ultrasonographic cut-off points, from which the patients show symptoms, have been described; these can be correlated directly with applicable measurements in the POP-Q system (3). A woman usually shows symptoms when: a cystocele is at least 10 mm below the pubic symphysis (Ba > 0.5); a uterine prolapse is 15 mm above the pubis (C > 5); or a rectocele is at least 15 mm below the pubic symphysis (Bp > - 0.5) (Figure 1).

If we analyse this pathology compartment by compartment, the ultrasound helps us understand the type of prolapse we are dealing with.

Figure 1. The continuous line marks the pubis and the dotted lines mark the distance of the bladder, uterus and rectum (from left to right) from this line