Abstract: Objective To summarize clinical and imaging findings of temporomandibular joint disorder caused by autoimmune diseases through retrospective analysis, so as to provide reference for early diagnosis. Methods Fifteen cases were collected in the Department of Oral Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital from December, 2014 to June, 2021 and 280 cases were collected from literature. Clinical and imaging findings, together with treatment were analyzed. Results Among 15 cases collected in this article, 80% of the patients had a medical history of autoimmune diseases. Limitation of mouth opening was the most common chief complaints, followed by preauricular pain. Imaging findings were joint effusion at superior and inferior joint space without trauma, disc perforation at intermediate zone, flat absorption of condyle without disc displacement and bilateral intracapsular fibrous or bony ankylosis. Anti-rheumatic drugs showed good curative effects in some patients. Four patients underwent artificial TMJ replacement and the effects were stable. Conclusion TMJ disorders caused by autoimmune diseases differ from common TMJ disorders in clinical and imagine findings, as well as treatment, so early diagnosis is necessary to guide treatment planning.

Key words: TMJ disorder, autoimmune disease, TMJ ankylosis, early diagnosis