Septic arthritis of the TMJ: a case report

• Autor(a) principal: Morais, Hécio Henrique Araújo de
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Peixoto, Tony Santos, Barbalho, Jimmy Charles, Dias, Tasiana Guedes de Sousa, Vasconcellos, Ricardo José de Holanda, Lucena, Eudes Euler de Souza
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFRN
• Texto Completo: https://repositorio.ufrn.br/handle/123456789/31698
• topic: Arthritis, infectious; Infection; Temporomandibular joint disorders; Artrite infecciosa; Infecção; Transtornos da articulação temporomandibular

Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is an uncommon condition; thus, reports in the specialized literature are still scarce. The TMJ may be affected by extension of a local infectious process, by post-traumatic hematoma, or secondarily, by hematogenous spread. Septic arthritis is more common in the large joints, with the knee and hip most frequently affected. It is characterized by insidious onset and a marked inflammatory process, and is monoarticular in 80% of cases. The present report describes the case of a 6-year-old boy with a history of rheumatoid arthritis who presented with pain, swelling, and redness in the right TMJ region, as well as limited jaw opening, closure, and lateral excursion bilaterally. The differential diagnosis and treatment of this rare clinical entity are described. Aspects concerning antibiotic therapy and imaging studies are also addressed