Unexpected Pathology During Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair in an Urban Population

This study quantifies the occult pathology risk among our urogynecologic patient population and highlights the importance of preoperative counseling, particularly in patients who have been underrepresented in prior studies.

The aim of the study was to estimate unexpected gynecologic pathology incidence among a low-risk, racially, and ethnically representative patient population undergoing surgery for symptomatic pelvic organ (POP) prolapse.

This was a retrospective study of patients undergoing hysterectomy for POP at an urban academic medical center. Patients with abnormal preoperative pathologic evaluation were excluded. Data were abstracted from the electronic health record, including demographic and clinical history, preoperative laboratory evaluation, and clinical risk factors for gynecologic malignancy.

Two hundred ninety-nine nononcologic patients who underwent POP repair with hysterectomy were assessed. Thirty-six percent of patients identified as Hispanic, 17% as non-Hispanic Black, and 38% as non-Hispanic White. Twenty-three percent of patients reported abnormal uterine bleeding, 36% underwent a preoperative ultrasound examination, and 15% underwent endometrial biopsy. Two patients (0.9%) were diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma. Two patients (0.9%) were diagnosed with cervical dysplasia. No patients with concurrent oophorectomy or salpingectomy had ovarian or tubal pathology. The overall incidence of unexpected gynecologic pathology at the time of hysterectomy for prolapse was 1.7%.

The rate of endometrial cancer in our cohort is on the higher end of previously published data, although absolute rates of unanticipated malignancy remain low. Future studies should examine the pathological findings of larger, racially, and ethnically diverse cohorts of patients undergoing POP surgery with hysterectomy, which can aid in providing relevant estimates for preoperative counseling.