Familial transmission of genitovaginal prolapse.

Some females with little to no risk factors develop prolapse, while other females with multiple risk factors do not. It appears that some women may have a predisposition for prolapse in the setting of equivalent risk factors. We identified 10 patients younger than 55 years old with a family history of prolapse. Their average age was 37 years (range 27-51), the mean number of deliveries was 1.8, and their mean birth weight was 8 lbs. Genetic analysis of the inheritance pattern within these families demonstrated that pelvic organ prolapse segregated in a dominant fashion with incomplete penetrance in these families. Both maternal and paternal transmissions were observed. The relative risk to siblings of affected patients was five times that of the risk for the general population. Further investigation of these families may identify a genetic defect responsible for prolapse.