POPQ

POPQ stands for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification, a standardized system for documenting and staging pelvic organ prolapse in women. Developed in the 1990s by researchers led by Bump and colleagues, POP-Q provides a reproducible, objective framework to quantify prolapse relative to the hymen during a pelvic examination. It is widely used in clinical practice and research to describe severity, monitor change over time, and guide treatment decisions.

The system uses nine reference points on the vaginal walls (Aa, Ba on the anterior wall; C and D for the vaginal apex/ cervix or vaginal cuff; Ap and Bp on the posterior wall) plus three measurements (genital hiatus GH, perineal body PB, and total vaginal length TVL). During examination, points are measured in centimeters from the hymenal ring, with negative values indicating positions above the hymen and positive values indicating descent beyond it. The gathered data are then used to assign a prolapse stage.

Staging ranges from 0 to IV and reflects how far the most distal prolapsed structure lies relative to the hymen. Stage 0 indicates no prolapse, while Stage IV describes maximal descent with extensive prolapse. The POP-Q framework also provides a detailed description of compartment involvement (anterior vs. posterior) and vaginal length, which helps in planning treatment and comparing outcomes.

Strengths of POP-Q include its reproducibility and suitability for research and multicenter studies. Limitations include the need for training to perform accurate measurements and the fact that numerical scores may not fully capture individual symptoms or functional impact.