Anatomy of the Head and Neck in Rheumatic Disease.

This article examines immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) and rheumatological diseases that affect the head and neck, with a focus on how immunopathogenesis drives anatomic and clinical manifestations. Advances in cytokine-targeted therapies have revealed disease-specific immune pathways that underlie tissue inflammation, cartilage destruction, and aberrant bone remodeling. These mechanisms explain characteristic changes in the temporomandibular joint, craniovertebral joints, larynx, salivary glands, and upper airway. Integrating molecular immunology with anatomy improves diagnosis, imaging interpretation, and clinical management of head and neck involvement in IMIDs and rheumatological diseases.