Temporomandibular joint dysfunction and facial pain caused by neoplasms. Report of three cases

The most frequent causes of painful limitation of temporomandibular joint function are myofascial pain dysfunction or anterior disk displacement. A potential problem in dealing with those patients is the risk of misdiagnosing the rare patient who has a neoplastic disease, primary or metastatic to the epipharyngeal region, parotid gland, jaws, or temporomandibular joint. Three cases are presented in which progressively worsening limitation of mandibular movement and increasing pain led to the diagnosis of a neoplasm in the temporomandibular joint region. The article illustrates the necessity of performing a thorough clinical and radiographic examination.