Psoriasis may play a role in temporomandibular joint disorders, according to an observational study that compared psoriasis patients to individuals without the disorder.
The Italian study, conducted from January 2014 to December 2014, included 112 patients with psoriasis and a 112-person control group. Of the patients with psoriasis, 25 (22%) had psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Patients were examined for temporomandibular disorder (TMD) signs and symptoms based on the standardized Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. TMD was assessed through a questionnaire and a clinical examination.
Overall, patients with psoriasis experienced TMD symptoms significantly more frequently than did members of the control group, with 69% of the psoriasis group reporting one or more symptoms, compared with 24% of the controls. Most often, the patients with psoriasis reported suffering from tenderness or stiffness in the neck and shoulders, muscle pain on chewing, and the sensation of a stuck or locked jaw. The control group’s major complaint was tenderness or stiffness in the neck and shoulders.
Temporomandibular joint sounds and opening derangement, which are signs of TMD, also were more common in the patients with psoriasis than in the control group.
TMD symptoms and signs were even more common in the subset of patients with PsA, with 80% of these patients reporting symptoms. Additionally, a statistically significant increase in opening derangement, bruxism, and temporomandibular joint sounds occurred in patients with PsA, compared with psoriasis patents without arthritis and controls.
Temporomandibular joint sounds and opening derangement “were found to be more frequent and severe in patients with psoriasis and PsA than in the healthy subjects, this result being highly significant,” wrote Dr. Vito Crincoli and colleagues at the University of Bari (Italy). “Therefore, in addition to dermatological and rheumatological implications, psoriasis seems to play a role in TMJ disorders, causing an increase in orofacial pain and an altered chewing function.”
Read the full study in the International Journal of Medical Sciences (2015;12:341-8 [doi:10.7150/ijms.11288]).