Resorption of the temporomandibular condylar bone according to subtypes of juvenile chronic arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relative impact of sex, type of onset, course of disease, age at onset, duration of disease and status of HLA-B27, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and rheumatoid factor on the risk of developing a condylar erosion.


METHODS
Condylar changes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) were diagnosed on orthopantomograms from 169 consecutive patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). A multiple regression analysis was applied to establish the relative weight of the independent variables affecting the severity of the condylar erosion.


RESULTS
It was found that 62.1% of the patients exhibited condylar resorption. The highest prevalence was seen in children with a polyarticular onset or course of disease and early age at onset and severe resorption was also frequent in these groups. Patients with positive ANA also had a high prevalence but with a mild degree of resorption. In contrast, HLA-B27 positive patients had a lower risk of TMJ involvement and resorptive changes of the condyle.


CONCLUSIONS
Polyarticular and early onset arthritis are associated with a high risk for TMJ involvement and a severe condylar bone loss can be expected. ANA positive patients have a high prevalence, and B27 positive patients have a low prevalence of TMJ arthritis but in both subgroups, the outcome of the bone resorptive process is mild.
Pedersen
T K
TK
Department of Orthodontics, Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Jensen
J J
JJ
Melsen
B
B
Herlin
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*