Temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome: a close association with systemic joint laxity (the hypermobile joint syndrome).

Sixty-two patients admitted for elective reconstructive surgery of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and eight seen as outpatients with a chief complaint of TMJ dysfunction during the same time interval were evaluated for possible etiologic factors contributing to the disease. All hospitalized patients had severe, end-stage degenerative changes within the TMJ, whereas outpatients had less severe disease and did not require surgery. TMJ dysfunction in some patients was said to be a result of established causes including bruxism, malocclusion, and trauma.

Systemic joint laxity (the hypermobile joint syndrome) is associated with temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

A consecutive series of 37 individuals admitted to the hospital for elective temporomandibular joint (TMJ) reconstructive surgery and 3 seen as outpatients with TMJ disease were evaluated for rheumatic disease or for another etiologic factor that might account for this problem. These 40 patients were screened by history, physical examination, and laboratory study. We soon noticed that many patients had generalized joint laxity.

Multiple scintigraphic findings in a patient with a primary myocardial sarcoma.

Primary myocardial sarcomas are rare. We report the scintigraphic findings observed with TI-201, Ga-67, Tc-99m pyrophosphate, and Tc-99m pertechnetate labeled red cell gated cardiac imaging in a patient with this tumor. We found that thallium and gated blood pool imaging can be used both in the diagnosis of these tumors and the assessment of the effects of chemotherapy on the tumor and normal myocardium.