[Epidemiological survey of craniomandibular dysfunction in young thalassemia major patients]

40 patients with talassemia major treated with blood transfusions were studied by the Authors. The aim of this study was to evaluate tmj signs and symptoms, according to Helkimo questionnaire. From the data collected in this investigation it comes out that clinical signs are more frequent in older subjects, in fact 27% of young patients aged from 9 to 13 years showed at least one clinical sign of dysfunction; on the other hand in the younger patients (aged from 6 to 9 years) dysfunctions were found only in 16% of subjects.