The risk of rhinosinusitis in patients with periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Some studies reported a possible increased risk of rhinosinusitis in patients with periodontitis. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to resolve conflicts on the association between these two important conditions.
For this purpose, a literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus from inception to 31 August 2023 to identify comparative observational studies that evaluated the risk of rhinosinusitis in periodontitis patients. We compared the prevalence of rhinosinusitis between subjects with and without periodontitis using pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Finally, four eligible studies were included, comprising 81,225 subjects. Analysis showed that periodontitis was associated with an increased risk of rhinosinusitis (OR=2.43 [95% CI: 1.33-4.42]). Analysis of two cross-sectional studies indicated that pooled OR for rhinosinusitis in subjects with periodontitis compared with those without was OR=4.17 (95% CI: 1.45-12.02). Based on two cohort studies, the risk of rhinosinusitis was higher in subjects with periodontitis versus those without (OR=1.52 [95% CI: 1.22-1.88]). Pooling adjusted ORs for rhinosinusitis in subjects with periodontitis compared with those without also demonstrated that periodontitis was associated with an increased risk of rhinosinusitis (aOR=1.73 [95% CI: 1.22-2.24]).
According to the results, the risk of rhinosinusitis increases in patients with periodontitis. Clinicians should focus more on managing periodontitis patients with concurrent chronic rhinosinusitis to prevent further complications.