Bilateral TMJ Involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Pritesh B Ruparelia,Shreyansh P Sutaria,Deep Pathak,Kosha Ruparelia,Deep S Shah

doi:10.1155/2014/262430

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory, slowly progressive disease that results in cartilage and bone destruction. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement is not uncommon in RA, and it is present in about more than 50% of patients; however, TMJ is usually among the last joints to be involved and is associated with many varied clinical signs and symptoms. Hence, RA of TMJ presents to the dentist with great diagnostic challenges. This report presents a case of RA with bilateral TMJ involvement with its classical radiographic findings and review literature.

Highlights

“Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by joint swelling, joint tenderness, and destruction of synovial joints, leading to severe disability and premature mortality [1, 2].”
If it occurs in early age it may result in mandibular growth disturbance, facial deformity, and ankylosis and in adult these can vary from mild joint stiffness to total joint disruption with occlusal-facial deformity [7, 8]
The present paper reports a case of RA with bilateral Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement with its classical radiographic findings

Summary

Introduction

“Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by joint swelling, joint tenderness, and destruction of synovial joints, leading to severe disability and premature mortality [1, 2].”. TMJ is usually among the last joint to be involved and is associated with many clinical signs and symptoms of which pain is a major problem later leading to inflammation, limited movements, swelling (joint stiffness), and muscle spasm [6]. If it occurs in early age it may result in mandibular growth disturbance, facial deformity, and ankylosis and in adult these can vary from mild joint stiffness to total joint disruption with occlusal-facial deformity [7, 8]. The present paper reports a case of RA with bilateral TMJ involvement with its classical radiographic findings

Case Report

Discussion

Conclusion

Findings

Conflict of Interests