High-resolution computed tomography of the osseous temporomandibular joint. Some normal and abnormal appearances

Abstract

A standardized CT procedure for examination of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with axial and coronal scanning as well as reformatted coronal and sagittal sections, was performed on 32 adults. These included subjects with normal TMJ and patients suffering from muscular dysfunction/disc displacement, arthrosis or rheumatoid arthritis. Some normal CT appearances simulating disease were presented. Axial CT scanning appeared to be the most useful method for demonstrating osseous abnormalities of the TMJ. The diagnostic information was occasionally supplemented by the coronal scanning, which may be difficult to perform on patients with neck stiffness. Reformatted coronal or sagittal sections mostly confirmed TMJ abnormality and supplemented the findings at axial scans in about one third of the patients.