Are temporomandibular joint signs and symptoms associated with magnetic resonance imaging findings in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients? A longitudinal study.

The aims of this longitudinal study were to perform a comprehensive clinical evaluation of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and to investigate the association between the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the TMJs of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Seventy-five patients with JIA participated in this study. All patients underwent a rheumatological examination performed by a paediatric rheumatologist, a TMJ examination performed by a single dentist and an MRI with contrast of the TMJs. These examinations were scheduled on the same date. The patients were examined again 1 year later. Twenty-eight (37.3 %) patients reported symptoms at the first evaluation and 11 (14.7 %) patients at the second evaluation. In relation to signs, 35 (46.7 %) of the patients presented at least one sign at the first evaluation and 29 (38.7 %) at the second. Intense contrast enhancement of TMJ was significantly associated with disease activity (p < 0.001) at the first evaluation and a trend to significance was observed at the second (p = 0.056), with poly/systemic subtypes (p = 0.028 and p = 0.049, respectively), with restricted mouth opening capacity (p = 0.013 and p = 0.001, respectively), with the presence of erosions at both evaluations (p = 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively) and with altered condylar shape at the second evaluation (p = 0.0005). TMJ involvement is highly prevalent in JIA patients, with asymptomatic children presenting severe structural alterations of the TMJ. The TMJ should always be evaluated in JIA patients, even in the absence of signs and symptoms.

Anatomic and dynamic aspects of stomatognathic structures in osteogenesis imperfecta: a case report.

The osteogenesis imperfecta congenita (OMIM 166210) type II phenotype can be caused by mutation in either the COL1A1 gene or the COL1A2 gene that encode the chains of type I procollagen, the major protein in bones. Patients can therefore present a combination of features, including multiple long bone fractures and deformities, growth deficiency, joint laxity, hearing loss, blue sclera, and dentinogenesis imperfecta. The purpose of this study is to describe a clinical case of this syndrome, focusing on the anatomy of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) that was assessed using computed tomography (CT) method. Clinical examination included evaluation of mandibular dynamics and investigation of temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD).