ABSTRACT

Aim:

The relationship between Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) remains unclear. Our aim was to update evidence on the prevalence of LUTS in patients with POP.

Method:

Pub Med was searched for English-language manuscripts reporting on the prevalence of LUTS in women with POP, published from 2010 onwards.

Results:

7 cross-sectional studies and 15 surgical series of prolapse repair reported on the prevalence LUTS. Focus on different symptoms and various methods of diagnosing them do not allow direct comparisons or grouping of the studies. Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is the most commonly assessed symptom with a prevalence ranging from 25 to 64% in surgical series and from 40 to 56% in epidemiologic studies. The prevalence of occult SUI, demonstrable only after prolapse reduction, is reported to be as high as 35.8%. Voiding symptoms are also prevalent particularly in patients with advanced prolapse. Overactive bladder (OAB) affects more than half of women with prolapse.

Conclusions:

Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in women with pelvic organ prolapse. The exact pathophysiology of the symptoms remains to be elucidated.