Isolated Temporomandibular Arthritis as Presentation of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Abstract

Involvement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has been increasingly reported, affecting up to 87% of cases. This involvement generally occurs after the diagnosis of JIA has been established; however, in the authors' cases, as in a few others documented in the literature, patients presented with isolated TMJ arthritis as the sole joint involvement. The authors performed a narrative literature review on TMJ involvement in JIA and reported 2 cases that presented with isolated TMJ arthritis as the initial manifestation of JIA. Although isolated TMJ involvement may be rare, it can lead to severe complications, such as complete loss of TMJ function. Thus, clinicians should be aware of this potential presentation to conduct necessary investigations and provide appropriate treatment.