July 11, 2011
40-year-old woman with insidious left temporomandibular pain—worse with chewing. No significant past medical history.
TMJ Synovial Chondromatosis
- Synovial chondromatosis is a benign chondrometaplasia of the synovial membrane, in which cartilaginous nodules form and may become pedunculated and/or detach from the synovium becoming loose bodies within the joint space. These loose bodies may calcify.
- This condition may affect any joint, commonly large joints and, rarely, small joints, including the temporomandibular joint.
- Patients usually present with periauricular swelling, pain, and restricted movement.
- Key imaging features: widening of the joint space, pr. of cartilage loose bodies which may be calcified, irregularity of joint surface, and sclerosis or hyperostosis of the glenoid fossa and mandibular condyle.
- DDx: Chondrosarcoma, osteoarthritis
- Treatment: Removal of loose bodies ' synovectomy
