Association of body mass index with severity of endometriosis in Korean women

Objective: To investigate the relationship between endometriosis severity and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Of 481 women seen for endometriosis at a university hospital in Korea, 153 had stage I, 113 had stage II, 110 had stage III, and 105 had stage IV disease. The patients' BMIs were categorized according to World Health Organization criteria for Asian-Pacific Populations. Results: Women with early or mild endometriosis (stages I or IV) had a significantly higher BMI than those with advanced disease (stages III or IV) (P<0.001). After adjusting for age, parity, and menstrual factors, an association between BMI and disease stage remained significant (P<0.001). Conclusion: Women with advanced-stage endometriosis had lower BMIs than those with minimal or mild disease, and BMI was significantly associated with disease severity. (C) 2008 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.