Mitochondrial myopathy presenting as temporomandibular dysfunction

Three patients, all of whom presented with orofacial pain, were initially diagnosed as having temporomandibular dysfunction. Subsequent muscle biopsies proved they had an underlying pathologic abnormality. It is not inconceivable that a number of patients who present with facial pain, whether or not they respond to traditional therapeutic modalities, have an underlying systemic myopathy. The myopathy may be hereditary and the mode of inheritance may be unusual. Practitioners who treat patients with facial pain are cautioned to be aware of this possibility. Mitochondrial myopathy is probably one of a series of pathologic abnormalities that may be present.