Temporomandibular disorders in psoriasis patients with and without psoriatic arthritis: an observational study.

Temporomandibular disorders in psoriasis patients with and without psoriatic arthritis:an observational study. Aim. Psoriasis is a chronic, remitting and relapsing inflammatory disorder, involving the skin, nails, scalp and mucous membranes, that impairs patients’ quality of life to varying degrees. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic seronegative, inflammatory arthritis, usually preceded by psoriasis. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is a generic term referred to clinical conditions involving the jaw muscles and temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The aim of this study was to assess symptoms and signs of TMD in psoriasis patients with and without PsA. Methods. The study group included 112 patients (56 men, 56 women; median age 49.7±12 years) with psoriasis; 25 of them were affected by PsA. A group of 112 subjects without psoriasis (56 men, 56 women; median age 47.7±17 years) served as controls. Signs and symptoms of TMD were evaluated according to the standardized Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). Psoriasis patients were subgrouped according to the presence/absence of PsA and also by gender, to assess the prevalence of traditional TMD symptoms and signs. Results. Patients with psoriasis, and to an even greater extent those with PsA, were more frequently affected by TMD symptoms and signs, including an internal TMJ opening derangement (OD) than healthy subjects. A statistically significant increase in TMDs, OD, bruxism (BRUX) and temporomandibular joint sounds (TMJS) was found in patients with PsA as compared with psoriasis patients without arthritis and controls. Conclusion. Psoriasis seems to play a role in TMJ disorders, causing an increase in orofacial pain and an altered chewing function.