title: Genital sensation in women with pelvic organ prolapse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to compare vaginal and clitoral sensory thresholds in women with pelvic organ prolapse and women with normal pelvic anatomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative sensory thresholds for warm, cold, and vibratory sensations were measured at the vagina and clitoral area of women with pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) stage II or higher (study group) and of women without prolapse, POP-Q stage ≤ I (control group). The quantitative sensory tests were performed with a thermal and vibration Genito-Sensory Analyzer, at the distal third of the anterior and posterior vaginal wall and at the clitoral area. Warm stimuli were used to evaluate unmyelinated C-fibers; cold stimuli for thinly myelinated A-delta; and vibratory stimuli for large A-beta fibers. Independent Student's t test and Chi-squared test of association were used for analysis of continuous and categorical parameters respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 66 women, 22 with median POP-Q stage III (range: II-IV) and 44 with POP-Q stage I (range: 0-I), participated in the study. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the characteristics examined (health status, medical history, and age). In all regions examined, mean thresholds for vibratory and warm stimuli were significantly higher and mean thresholds for cold stimuli significantly lower in the group with prolapse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with pelvic organ prolapse exhibited lower sensitivity in the genital area to vibratory and thermal stimuli than did women without prolapse. Our findings suggest that a neuropathic sensory deficit in the area of the genitalia might be associated with prolapse.
authors.affiliation: Division of NeuroUrology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gruenwald
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gartman
authors.forename: Lior
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lowenstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002987:Clitoris / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012677:Sensation; D020886:Somatosensory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D013696:Temperature; D014621:Vagina / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014732:Vibration