RESEARCH ARTICLE
A Case of Chronic Infectious Arthritis of the Temporomandibular Joint Associated with Osteomyelitis without Malocclusion
Shinji Kito1, Souichi Hirashima2, Izumi Yoshioka3, Manabu Habu3, Masaaki Kodama3, Shinya Kokuryo3, Masafumi Oda1, Tatsurou Tanaka1, Nao Wakasugi-Sato1, Shinobu Matsumoto-Takeda1, Yuji Seta4, Kazuhiro Tominaga3, Yasuhiro Morimoto1, *
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2010Volume: 4
First Page: 29
Last Page: 32
Publisher ID: TODENTJ-4-29
DOI: 10.2174/1874210601004010029
Article History:
Received Date: 9/10/2009Revision Received Date: 22/1/2010
Acceptance Date: 3/2/2010
Electronic publication date: 29/4/2010
Collection year: 2010

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Infectious arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is rare, and previous reports have identified malocclusion resulting from condylar deformity and displacement of the condyle as one of the clinical characteristics of the disease. Here we report the case of a 33-year-old man with chronic infectious arthritis of the TMJ without malocclusion associated with osteomyelitis of the right mandible. Based on radiological findings of more prominent inflammation at the TMJ than in other regions and on the observed efficacy of antibiotic administration, we made a diagnosis of suppurative arthritis of the TMJ. Based on our empirical experience, including the present case, we speculate that refusal to cooperate with medical care may be a factor in the development of infectious arthritis of the TMJ.