title: TMJ disorders and pain: assessment by contrast-enhanced MRI.
abstract: Though magnetic resonance (MRI) is a widely accepted standard for the assessment of patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, efforts to correlate symptoms to MRI findings have often given controversial results. Aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between TMJ pain and findings of contrast-enhanced MRI. Thirty-eight consecutive patients with TMJ dysfunction syndrome (study group) were examined with MRI. Protocol included T2 turbo spin-echo sequence, T1 spin-echo sequence, and T2 gradient-echo (acquired with closed jaw, at intermediate and maximal opening). Post-contrast phase was obtained through a fat sat 3D T1 gradient-echo sequence (VIBE). Post-contrast findings in the study group were matched with those obtained in a control group of 33 patients submitted to MRI of the paranasal sinuses. Statistically significant difference was found between condylar medullary bone enhancement in painful TMJ, in painless TMJ and control group. In addition the average thickness of joint soft tissue enhancement in painful TMJ was superior to painless TMJ (p<0.0001) and to control group. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio that a painful TMJ showed disk displacement, osteoarthrosis, effusion and JST enhancement were 3.05, 3.18, 1.2 and 11.36, respectively. Though not histologically proven, TMJ enhancement could reflect the presence of inflammation in painful joints. Furthermore, the administration of contrast could be of help for the assessment of patients with orofacial pain, particularly when clinical exploration is insufficient to ascribe the pain to TMJ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology (School of Medicine), University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy. nappaje@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bodin
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gandolfi
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: De Gasperi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borghesi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maroldi
mesh_terms: D018771:Arthralgia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA