Unilateral bifid condyle: a case report

Abstract

In the present case report, a patient attended the Surgical Clinic of PUC-MG for extraction of third molars. When performing the panoramic radiography, an atypical shaping of the mandibular condyle was detected. For the correct diagnosis, a cone-beam computed tomography was requested. The axial, sagittal, and coronal tomographic sections clearly showed the structure and its position in relation to the skull. The exam showed unilateral hyperdense masses on the left, in the form of mediolaterally oriented secondary condylar heads. Although they were adjacent to the condylar head, a constriction between them was observed in the superior condylar pole region. This image analysis, associated with the absence of functional changes and symptomatology, was decisive for the diagnosis of a bifid condyle, as it allowed to exclude any pathological alteration. As its etiology is diverse, this type of anatomical variation is usually found in routine imaging exams, as in the present study. The bifid condyle can be considered a differential diagnosis of condylar hyperplasia, osteochondromas, or alterations related to temporomandibular dysfunction in two-dimensional radiographic exams.