A 52-year-old multiparous woman presents with a sensation of a lump in the vagina. On examination, the leading edge of the prolapse descends 2 cm beyond the hymen at maximum Valsalva. According to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) system, this corresponds to:
- A Stage II
- B Stage IV
- C Stage III ✓
- D Stage I
Correct answer: C. Stage III
Explanation
The POP-Q system stages prolapse based on the leading edge relative to the hymen (point 0): Stage 0 = no prolapse; Stage I = leading edge >1 cm above hymen (−1 cm); Stage II = leading edge within 1 cm above or below the hymen (−1 cm to +1 cm); Stage III = leading edge >1 cm beyond hymen but ≤2 cm less than total vaginal length; Stage IV = complete eversion (leading edge ≥TVL −2 cm). A leading edge of +2 cm beyond the hymen exceeds +1 cm, so Stage III is correct. Stage IV would require near-complete eversion.
Reference: Shaw's Textbook of Gynaecology, 17th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.