title: Can striae be used as a marker for the prediction of pelvic organ prolapse?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between two connective tissue pathologies: striae and pelvic organ prolapse (POP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and eighty-eight women who had undergone gynaecological surgery were divided into two groups. The study group (n=244) consisted of symptomatic patients with POP, and the control group (n=244) consisted of cases who underwent surgery for benign gynaecological conditions without evidence of POP. The groups were compared in terms of the presence, intensity and severity of striae, as well as their general characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of striae (p=0.001), number of striae (p=0.001) and Davey score (p=0.00001) were significantly higher in the study group, and the absence of striae was more common in the control group (p=0.00001). According to multivariate analysis, the presence of striae, an increased number of striae (>15) and a Davey score >2 increased the risk of POP 1.29 fold (p=0.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-1.35), 1.19 fold (p=0.04, 95% CI 1.14-1.25) and 2.51 fold (p=0.01, 95% CI 1.66-3.78), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Striae may serve as a promising marker for POP. In particular, women who develop striae should be cautious about their risk for developing POP in the future, and should be informed about preventive methods for POP.
authors.affiliation: Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Izmir 35170, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.affiliation: Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Izmir 35170, Turkey.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toz
authors.affiliation: Kent Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Izmir 35580, Turkey. Electronic address: candatunc@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Canda
authors.affiliation: Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Izmir 35170, Turkey.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Izmir 35170, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tasyurt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000453:epidemiology*; D057896:Striae Distensae / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Pelvic organ prolapse; Prediction; Prolapse surgery; Striae