Temporomandibular joint herniation into the middle ear: A rare cause of mastication-induced tinnitus

A 75-year-old patient complained of mastication-induced clicking tinnitus on the left side, and otoendoscopic examination revealed that the left tympanic membraneTM was outwardly bulged by clenching her teeth. Temporal bone computed tomography demonstrated that the posteromedial bony wall of the gle...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jin Woo Choi, MD, PhD, HyunJoo Nahm, MD, Jung Eun Shin, MD, PhD, Chang-Hee Kim, MD, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2020-02-01
Series:Radiology Case Reports
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043319303590
Description
Summary:A 75-year-old patient complained of mastication-induced clicking tinnitus on the left side, and otoendoscopic examination revealed that the left tympanic membraneTM was outwardly bulged by clenching her teeth. Temporal bone computed tomography demonstrated that the posteromedial bony wall of the glenoid was partially dehiscent, allowing herniation of soft tissue contents of temporomandibular joint into the middle ear. Increased middle ear pressure due to soft tissue herniation can induce left tympanic membrane bulging and accompanying clicking tinnitus. Herniation of temporomandibular joint soft tissue into the middle ear should be considered as a differential diagnosis when clicking tinnitus is evoked by mastication. Keywords: Tinnitus, Mastication, Temporomandibular joint, Middle ear, Foramen of Huschke
ISSN:1930-0433