[Epidemiologic study of patients with craniomandibular disorders. Report of data and clinical findings].
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify the subjective and objective characteristics of a population referred to a clinic for diagnosis and treatment of orofacial pain and/or temporomandibular disorders.


METHODS
Beginning in 1993, 825 patients, consecutively referred to the University of Naples  Federico II , were examined and their records entered into a database. These data were collected by trained clinicians. Diagnostic subgroups were identified following the Research Diagnostic Criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC).


RESULTS
Seventy-nine percent of patients were female, the mean age of the sample was 31.3+/-13 years (range: 5 to 74 years), most of patients were between 15 and 39 years of age. Based on diagnostic subgroups, patients were divided into: patients affected with myogenous pain (59%), arthrogenous pain (13%), arthrogenous and myogenous pain (16%) and fibromyalgia (4%). Sixty-three percent of the sample reported recent headaches, 53% reported parafunction, and 28% reported a previous trauma. Eighty-one percent reported spontaneous pain, which was chronic in 83% of them. The majority of patients (78%) presented a relatively high cultural BACKGROUND.


CONCLUSIONS
These data appear to agree with other epidemiologic studies and depict the TMD treatment-seeking population as a predominantly female population during child-bearing years with multiple chronic pain complaints.
Vollaro
S
S
Dipartimento di Scienze Odontostomatologiche e Chirurgiche Maxillo-Facciali, Cattedra di Ortognatodonzia e Gnatologia, Università degli Studi Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Michelotti
A
A
Cimino
R
R
Farella
M
M
Martina
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017271:Craniomandibular Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*