This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Orhan, K Articles by Paksoy, C. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Orhan, K Articles by Paksoy, C.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of mandibular condyle bone marrow and temporomandibular joint disc signal intensity in anaemia patients

¹Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Ankara University, 06500 Besevler, Ankara, Turkey; ²Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Yeditepe University, 34730, Kadikoy, Istanbul, Turkey

*Correspondence to: Cagri Delilbasi, Yeditepe University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Bagdat Caddesi No. 238, 34730 Istanbul, Turkey; E-mail: cdelilbasi{at}yahoo.com

Received 5 February 2008; revised 17 June 2008; accepted 26 June 2008

Objectives: To compare the signal intensity (SI) of mandibular condyle bone marrow (MCBM) and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc in patients with chronic anaemia and healthy subjects, and to investigate the relationships between bone marrow changes, age, types of anaemia and severity of anaemia.

Methods: MRIs of 18 patients with chronic anaemia were compared with those of 12 healthy subjects. The SI of MCBM and the TMJ disc were quantitatively evaluated. The SI of the grey matter (GM), white matter (WM) and the lateral pterygoid muscle were also investigated. Relationships between age, MCBM and TMJ disc signal-intensities and anaemia severity, and correlations between the groups, were analysed.

Results: The mean MCBM SI was lower in anaemia patients (including both subgroups and also separately) than in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). No statistical significance was found for GM, WM and the muscle SI between the anaemia patients and healthy patient group (P > 0.05). No statistical significance was found between the groups with respect to the anterior band, whereas the mean SI value of the posterior band in the study group was significantly lower than in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). There were no correlations between age and MCBM SI, or between anaemia severity and MCBM SI.

Conclusions: Anaemia may cause bone marrow alterations without any internal derangement. Patients with chronic anaemia exhibit lower mandibular condyle bone marrow and posterior band SI than healthy subjects.

Keywords: magnetic resonance imaging; signal intensity; temporomandibular joint; anaemia