Histology of the vaginal wall in women with pelvic organ prolapse: a literature review

Introduction and hypothesis The pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is incompletely understood. The purpose of this study is to describe the current knowledge about histology of the vaginal wall and its possible involvement in the pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse. Methods Eligible studies were selected through a MEDLINE search covering January 1986 to December 2012. The research was limited to English-language publications. Results Investigations of changes in the vaginal tissue that occur in women with genital prolapse are currently still limited and produced contrary results. The heterogeneity of the patients and the control groups in terms of age, parity and hormonal status, of the localization of biopsies and the histological methods as well as the lack of validation of the quantification procedures do not allow clear and definitive conclusions to be drawn. Conclusions This review shows that current knowledge of the histological changes observed in women with POP are inconclusive and relatively limited. More studies are needed in this specific field to better understand the mechanisms that lead to POP.