Towards a Common Etiopathogenesis: Periodontal Disease and Endometriosis

CONTEXT: Periodontal disease and endometriosis are seen to share a common pathogenesis. There is only one report suggesting the possible association between the two conditions. AIMS: To study the association between endometriosis and periodontal disease. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a case–control study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Periodontal screening was carried out in 25 women with endometriosis and 25 women without endometriosis. Severity of periodontal disease was classified based on the extent of loss of attachment. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Student's t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Karl Pearson correlation coefficient tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: The proportion of women with severe periodontitis was seen to be higher among women with endometriosis (70%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate the existence of a relationship between endometriosis and periodontal disease. However, further studies among larger cohorts of endometriosis may provide evidence about the association.