Abstract
Suppurative arthritis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a rare condition due to recent development of antibiotics.
A case of acute suppurative arthritis of the left TMJ complicating rheumatoid arthritis in a 85 years old woman is reported.
She visited our hospital in September, 1991 with the chief complaints of pain and swelling in the left TMJ region.
Clinical signs and symptoms were general malaise, trismus with localized swelling, redness, spontanous pain over the left TMJ, and malocclusion with deviation of the mandible to the healthy side. Mouth opening was limited to 15mm. On radiographic examination, chronic marginal periodontitis of left molar region was found, and posterior joint space was enlarged bone scintigram revealed pronounced accumulation in the left TMJ. This was followed by intra-articular joint puncture, 2ml of pus was aspirated.
Treatments including antiinflammatory therapy, irrigation of the joint cavity and opening mouth rehabilitation were given. The patient had a good clinical course.
