Clinical and Imaging Findings of Temporomandibular Joint Synovial Chondromatosis: An Analysis of 10 Cases and Literature Review.

PURPOSE: This study investigated clinical and imaging features of synovial chondromatosis (SC) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) for use in clinical applications.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

We analyzed clinical data from 10 patients with SC of the TMJ in our hospital from 2011 to 2015. We also reviewed and analyzed relevant literature included in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database in the past decade using the search terms "synovial chondromatosis" and "temporomandibular joint."

RESULTS

The incidence of SC of the TMJ was higher in female patients than in male patients (male-to-female ratio, 1:2.22). It occurred most often in middle age (mean, 47.2 years). The characteristic symptoms of SC in the TMJ were pain (90.8%), swelling (67.1%), limited ability to open the mouth (68.4%), deviant jaw opening (34.2%), and crepitation (31.6%). Computed tomography (CT) (42.9%) and magnetic resonance imaging (45.4%) were the most common techniques used to assess SC in the TMJ, and cone-beam CT (10.9%) also was used to make preliminary diagnoses based on its imaging findings. Open surgery was the preferred treatment of SC of the TMJ, and the recurrence rate was low.

CONCLUSIONS

The main clinical characteristics of SC of the TMJ are pain, swelling, limited mouth opening, joint sounds, and deviant jaw opening. Imaging features include abnormal high-density shadows, condyle hyperostosis or destruction, changes in the temporal bone, and widening of the joint space. Cone-beam CT is useful for diagnosis of SC of the TMJ.