Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System (POP-Q) - a new era in pelvic prolapse staging.

The prolapse of one or several pelvic organs is a condition that has been known by medicine since its early days, and different therapeutic approaches have been proposed and accepted. But one of the main problems concerning the prolapse of pelvic organs is the need for a universal, clear and reliable staging method.Because the prolapse has been known and recognized as a disease for more than one hundred years, so are different systems proposed for its staging. But none has proved itself to respond to all the requirements of the medical community, so the vast majority were seen coming and going, failing to become the single most useful system for staging in pelvic organ prolapse (POP).The latest addition to the group of staging systems is the POP-Q system, which is becoming increasingly popular with specialists all over the world, because, although is not very simple as a concept, it helps defining the features of a prolapse at a level of completeness not reached by any other system to date. In this vision, the POP-Q system may reach the importance and recognition of the TNM system use in oncology.This paper briefly describes the POP-Q system, by comparison with other staging systems, analyzing its main features and the concept behind it.

From interstitial cystitis to chronic pelvic pain.

There are still many things to be found out about interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) because the pathological processes underlying the condition are not yet elucidated, biological markers of the condition are not yet available, and the type and severity of symptoms can vary, so, clearly defining the condition is not yet possible. For example, it is not clearly understood whether IC/PBS represents a systemic disease, if it is localized in the bladder, or if it was initially localized in the bladder and it later evolved into a systemic disease. This condition is best managed by using a multidisciplinary approach. Management requires a good integration and knowledge of all pelvic organ systems and other systems including musculoskeletal, neurologic, and psychiatric systems.

Diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction--a practical update.

During the last decades, erectile dysfunction was considered a direct consequence of aging and, although of a great concern for the affected patient, little was available to evaluate and treat this problem. If aging could not be invoked in all cases, than the psychogenic etiology was the only explanation. Over the coming years, a better understanding of the physiology involved in the penile process of tumescence and detumescence has allowed for better approach of each disease asociated with erectile dysfunction so that adequate treatment modalities can be applied to the pacient. As we all know, every pacient is a particular case. The development of modern PDE-5 inhibiters, along with other more or less invasive therapies, puts a new light on the medical approach of ED.