Ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint caused by rheumatoid arthritis: a pathological study and review

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in a 59-year-old Japanese woman is reported, including details of clinical, histopathological and radiological findings. The patient had been diagnosed as having RA of the right knee joint 41 years previously, and suffered from arthralgia of the right TMJ. Radiological examination showed a radiopaque lesion of the mandibular head and mandibular fossa in the right TMJ and ankylosis of the right TMJ was diagnosed on the basis of the clinical and radiological findings. Condylectomy was performed. Pathological examination of material from the joint region revealed a marked increase of collagen fibers associated with slight capillary dilatation and hemorrhage. The final diagnosis was ankylosis of the right TMJ due to RA. The literature on TMJ ankylosis secondary to RA is reviewed and discussed.