Impact of Temporomandibular Joint disorders and Pain in psoriatic arthritis

Objective: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in patients with PA and compare with a healthy group, and also the presence of articular disorders in those patients who showed no clinical manifestations. In addition, our goal is to intercept asymptomatic patients before they manifest the symptoms. To investigate the impact of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and pain, on daily activities and quality of life, in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PA), thirty consecutive outpatients with PA were included. Thirteen of these showed no clinical signs of joint disorders. TMJ disorders are investigated both clinically (in terms of symptoms and sings) and radiologically (MRI). Methods: TMJ pain intensity at rest, on maximum mouth opening, and on chewing was assessed on a 0–10 numerical rating scale. TMJ palpatory tenderness, degree of anterior open bite, the impact of TMJ pain on daily activities and quality of life were also assessed. A diagnosis of PA of the TMJ is not always easy but, aimed with what suggested other authors , we investigated the subjective, clinical, radiographic and sierologic features of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in patients with PA and have reported that involvement of the TMJ may be common . Results: Clinical findings shows that current TMJ disorders, pain intensity and systemic inflammatory activity play roles in the impact on daily living and quality of life in PA patients. Conclusions: future prospects for the prevention and treatment of TMD in patients with PA includes without any doubt the use of Arthrocentesis and synovial fluid analysis.