[Disorders of pulmonary ventilation function in patients with genital prolapse in postmenopause]

Low collagen contents in urogenital organs and skin were found in women with genital descensus, pointing to genetic abnormalities in connective tissue as the underlying cause. Since lungs have abundant connective tissue and depend on its integrity we hypothesized that postmenopausal women with genital descensus may have pulmonary function disorders. Therefore, in the sample of 66 inpatients that were planned for surgical correction of genital descensus, the pulmonary ventilatory function was evaluated and compared to 67 matched volunteers without genital descensus. All examinees were in postmenopausis, nonsmokers and without history or clinical signs of the diseases that are known to affect the pulmonary function. All subjects were interviewed, gynecologically examined and performed the dynamic spirometry (MASTERLAB, Jaeger). Statistically significant reductions in vital capacity and forced expiratory volume at 1st second were observed. However, the initial expiratory flows were greatly reduced, mostly the peak expiratory flow (for 40%) and the forced expiratory flow at 75% and 50% of forced vital capacity (for 39% and 35%). These findings are consistent with reduced strength of expiratory muscles and point towards possible association of the lack of collagen and the impairment in pulmonary function in postmenopausal women with genital descensus.