Primary intra- and juxta-articular vascular malformations of the temporomandibular joint: a clinical analysis of 8 consecutive patients.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze primary intra- and juxta-articular vascular malformations of the temporomandibular joint.


METHODS
This study retrospectively reviewed eight patients (seven venous malformations and one lymphatico-venous malformation) who were treated for intra- or juxta-articular vascular malformations of the temporomandibular joint from November 2005 to January 2011. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) preoperatively.


RESULTS
According to MRI findings, vascular malformations involving TMJ could be divided into 3 types; homogenous, lacunar and mixed types. All patients underwent surgical resection, and the final clinical diagnoses were confirmed by postoperative histopathology and immunohistochemical examinations. All treated patients had no clinical or radiographic signs of recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
Owing to the lower incidence and nonspecific clinical presentations, preoperative diagnosis of vascular malformations involving the TMJ region is very difficult. The classification based on MRI manifestations is proposed first, then it may greatly help in the initial diagnosis. Surgical resection is considered the first option for these TMJ lesions with excellent results.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai 200011, China.
Qin
Q
Zhou
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai 200011, China.
Chi
C
Yang
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai 200011, China.
Min-Jie
MJ
Chen
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai 200011, China.
Ya-Ting
YT
Qiu
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai 200011, China.
Wei-Liu
WL
Qiu
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai 200011, China.
Jia-Wei
JW
Zheng
Vascular malformations; temporomandibular joint (TMJ); venous malformation