THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - CORRELATIONS BETWEEN CLINICAL AND TOMOGRAPHIC FEATURES

Clinical and radiological involvement of the temporomandibular joint ( TMJ) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) varies greatly in the literature. Cl inical and tomographic (sagittal plane) examination of the TMJ was per formed in 26 patients with RA and 26 control subjects. Sixty-one per c ent of the RA group had physical signs in the TMJ, compared with 42% i n the control group (NS). Sixty-nine per cent of the RA group had eros ive or cystic lesions of the TMJ compared with 31% of control subjects (P < 0.0 1). The clinical dysfunction score did not correlate with th e tomographic TMJ score in patients with RA. It was found that a wide range of tomographic abnormalities occurs in patients with RA and in p atients without the disease, and that there are no tomographic abnorma lities specific for RA: however, the incidence of erosions and cysts o f the mandibular condyle are significantly higher in patients with RA (P < 0.01), and should suggest the diagnosis. It was also found that t here is no correlation between the clinical and tomographic findings o f the TMJ in RA, and that the intensity of destructive lesions of the TMJ on tomography in RA is well correlated to the severity of the dise ase (evaluated with clinical and laboratory features).