2011 Volume 23 Issue 3 Pages 161-165
We report a case of acute suppurative inflammation around the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region originating in periodontitis mimicking temporomandibular disorders (TMD). A 65-year-old male presented with dull pain in the right TMJ region and limitation of mouth opening with sudden onset only one day before the first visit. He had been treated for periodontal abscess of the upper first molar on the right side 20 days earlier. Although a working diagnosis of TMD was made, the pain and limitation of mouth opening gradually increased in spite of pharmacological treatment. Subsequent MR imaging revealed joint effusion in the superior joint compartment of the right TMJ as well as high intensity of the masticatory muscles in T2 weighted images, and a final diagnosis of suppurative inflammation of the TMJ and masticatory muscles originating in periodontitis was made. The clinical course was satisfactory after receiving a 9-day course of administration of antibiotics (ABPC) and subsequent functional rehabilitation.
