Fine needle aspiration of pigmented villonodular synovitis of the temporomandibular joint

Abstract

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems are usually the result of functional disorders. Tumors of the TMJ are rarer entities, the diagnosis of which may be delayed due to a clinical impression of a functional ailment. We report a case of a patient with a recurrent TMJ area lesion diagnosed cytologically as pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), an entity that very rarely involves the TMJ and is usually diagnosed by histology. The differential diagnosis of PVNS in the context of its location in and around the TMJ is also discussed.