Clinical study of synovial chondromatosis of temporomandibular joint

Objectives: To analyze the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of synovial chondromatosis(SC) of the temporomandibular joint(TMJ).Methods: Data of patients with TMJ tumors or tumor-like lesions treated in department of oral and maxillofacial surgery of Wuhan University from 1988 to 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical examinations included maximal mouth opening, joint sound, and pain score. The radiological data included transcranial views, arthography and CT. All patients received arthrotomy to remove the lesion and the diagnosis was confirmed by pathology. Results: 16 cases of TMJ SC were collected including 6 males and 10 females with an age average of 42.8 years. The most common symptom was joint pain (10/16), followed by joint swelling (8/16), and joint noise (8/16). Most cases (10/16) cases had history of misdiagnosis or mistreatment. There was no significant correlation between the pathological stage and joint destruction seen on radiological images. Conclusions: TMJ SC is rare and misleading. The pathological stages do not correlate with the severity of joint destruction seen on radiological images.