Synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint: a case report with an associated systematic review update of the literature.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to report a case of synovial chondromatosis (SC) of the left temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and provide an update of a previous review published in 2010 by summarizing the last 15 years of literature on the topic. METHODS: On 07 July 2024, two of the authors independently performed a systematic search in the most relevant medical databases to identify all the English-language papers reporting cases of TMJ SC. After selecting the articles, the authors discussed their potential inclusion in the systematic review, and in case of disagreement, a third author was consulted. RESULTS: From the assessment of all four databases, 466 citations were retrieved. After the removal of the duplicates, 136 articles remained for evaluation. In the end, a total of 108 articles were selected for inclusion, reporting a total of 1046 cases of SC of the TMJ. The most frequently reported signs and symptoms were pain, reduced interincisal mouth opening, swelling, crepitus, and clicking. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the different surgical treatment options that were adopted, the recurrence rate remains low. From the present review, no evidence arises for a specific risk factor for TMJ SC. THE PROSPERO REGISTRATION: register number CRD42024568102.