Open AccessRheumatoid arthritis affecting temporomandibular joint
Author(s) -
Amandeep Sodhi,
Sudhir M Naik,
Anuradha Pai,
Ardra Anuradha
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
contemporary clinical dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.289
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 0976-237X
pISSN - 0976-2361
DOI - 10.4103/0976-237x.149308
Subject(s) - medicine , temporomandibular joint , rheumatoid arthritis , radiography , cone beam computed tomography , temporomandibular joint disorder , arthritis , disease , radiology , orthodontics , computed tomography , pathology
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune inflammatory disorder that is characterized by joint inflammation, erosive properties and symmetric multiple joint involvement. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is very rare to be affected in the early phase of the disease, thus posing diagnostic challenges for the dentist. Conventional radiographs fail to show the early lesions due to its limitations. More recently cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been found to diagnose the early degenerative changes of TMJ and hence aid in the diagnosis of the lesions more accurately. Our case highlights the involvement of TMJ in RA and the role of advanced imaging (CBCT) in diagnosing the bony changes in the early phase of the disease.