Differential diagnosis of TMJ pains: two clinical cases - ROS - 2017 - Tome 46 - N°3-4

Concerning temporomandibular dysfunctions, pains localized in the TMJ are frequent symptoms and their etiologic diagnosis generally does not cause particular problems. But in certain cases, these pains may hide a pathology different than simple arthralgia due to an articular disorder. The complexity of the oral-cervical-facial innervation may for instance generate 'referred' pains which can complicate and delay the diagnosis and which can also explain the ineffectiveness of the usual treatments.
The difficulty of making certain differential diagnoses will be illustrated in this article with two clinical cases, both involving TMJ pain. The therapeutic approach will be based on the different diagnostic hypotheses.

Agenda