Intraosseous osteoid osteoma of the temporomandibular joint: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Osteoid Osteoma(OO), a benign osseous neoplasm, clinically manifests with localized pain and swelling. This entity demonstrates an exceptionally low incidence, being rarely encountered in long bones and major joints, and even more infrequently in craniofacial regions or the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). When occurring in the TMJ, it presents a substantial diagnostic challenge due to clinical overlap with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)-a far more prevalent condition in this anatomical region.

Case presentation: This report details the clinical course of a 27-year-old male presenting with a four-year history of left-sided articular pain as the chief complaint. Definitive diagnosis of OO was confirmed through multimodal imaging studies and histopathological verification. The patient achieved optimal postoperative recovery without residual symptomatology.

Conclusions: OO remains an exceptionally rare entity within the TMJ, further complicated by its nonspecific symptomatology that mimics more prevalent osteoarticular pathologies. This article underscores the diagnostic imperative of integrating multimodal imaging modalities with histopathological confirmation to establish definitive diagnosis, emphasizing both the lesion's rarity and the necessity for systematic diagnostic protocols in such atypical presentations.