A Case of Synovial Chondromatosis Caused by Long-term treatment for Temporomandibular Disorder

Abstract

Synovial chondromatosis affects the knees and elbows and commonly occurs in distal parts near the long bones, such as the hip, and to a lesser extent in the jaw joints. Herein, we report a case of synovial chondromatosis due to long-term treatment for temporomandibular joint disorder （TMD）.
The patient, a 46-year-old woman, had consulted a physician for swelling and lack of movement in the left temporomandibular joint. She had been receiving long-term treatment for TMD; however, there was no improvement and so later she presented at our department for treatment.
Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion, which was found to be cartilage-like tissue, between the lower left jaw fossa and the mandibular condyle. Histopathological analysis revealed that the lesion comprised typical cartilage cells. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with synovial chondromatosis.
The patient underwent hysterectomy under general anesthesia. Currently, the patient has no temporomandibular joint symptoms and her prognosis is good.