Can striae be used as a marker for the prediction of pelvic organ prolapse?

Striae as a predictive clinical marker of urogenital dystopia and preventive treatment proposal

“…Striae are common dermal lesions of unknown aetiology. These stretch marks are linear and atrophic plaques due to the continuous and progressive distension of the skin . Their pathogenesis involves reductions and modifications in the configuration of the elastic fibres, collagen and fibrillin of the dermis, structures which are produced by fibroblasts.…”

“…Urogenital dystopia is a condition in which pelvic organs prolapse and in some cases protrude partially or completely through the vaginal introitus . This occurs due to a weak pelvic supporting structure, which is formed by the pelvis and the pelvic floor fasciae and muscles .…”

“…In cases of pelvic prolapse and urinary incontinence, elastic fibres are fragmented and distributed unevenly . At the same time, a decrease in the amount, solubility and expression of collagen increases the degradation and alteration rates of its metabolism in the pelvic floor …”

“…Therefore, some authors have postulated that alterations in the connective tissue extracellular matrix of those conditions would have a key role in the pathobiology of the striae and pelvic relaxation, suggesting that there may be an association between the occurrences of both of them. On performing an analysis of studies over the last 10 years questioning striae as a risk factor for urogenital dystopias, we found four studies, two in favour and two against the association . (Table )…”

Efficacy of striae gravidarum extension and localization on predicting intraperitoneal adhesion risk

“…However, some researchers did not find any significant association between the severity of striae formation and the extent of enlargement in body size . A recent study showed that the correlation between the presence of striae and pelvic organ prolapse implies a condition associated with decreased collagen content …”