Objective: This case describes the characteristics of CT-Scan image of a patient affected by SC in a symptomatic TMJ.
Material: A 48 years old woman whom clinically presented non specific headache, unilateral increase of volume and pain in the left TMJ, for a long period of time, located in the high-level left parotid gland, with left disc internal disarrangements, crept and chronic functional limitation in the left TMJ. as evidence, there is a history of domestic violence that includes a blow to the area, that dates back over a period of five years. She was studied by Axial-Slab-Plane and Coronal-Slab-Plane CT multirow-scan of 625um slice, at open and close mouth. The parameters used for the study were: FOV 16.0 cm, Bone Algorithm, Filter Edge A2, Matrix: 512x512 pxs, (BrightSpeed®ELITE, General Electric, Milwaukee, USA).
Results: At the CT-Scan, the left joint capsule was observed dramatically expanded in all directions, many high density nodes were including inside the capsule, they were of little diameter, of different forms and irregulars contour, look like partial or completed mineralized tissues (ROI=557±116UH). Those nodes represent an obstruction to normal movement of the condyle. Were not observed glenoid fossa involved neither intracranial extension, but they affects the condyle morphology, with upper, posterior and lateral bone walls flatten. Conclusion: Submilimeters CT-scan allows determining density and morphology of the micro nodes in Synovial Chondromatosis in the TMJ.
Ket Words: TMJ, Synovial Chondromatosis, Synovial Connective Tissue TMJ