Otalgia and aversive symptoms in temporomandibular disorders

Ear symptoms in patients with orofacial pain and dysfunction - An explorative study on different TMD symptoms, occlusion and habits

Objectives

Ear symptoms coincident with TMD symptoms have been noticed for a long time. The aim was to investigate the relationship between reported ear symptoms in TMD patients and different TMD symptoms, dental occlusion, oral parafunction and habits.

Material and methods

Consecutive patients, ≥18 years of age and referred to a specialist clinic for orofacial pain and dysfunction during a three‐month period, were considered for the study. Patients with poor general or psychiatric health were excluded. One hundred thirty‐two patients were included and studied with regard to reported ear symptoms in relation to clinical dysfunction, occlusion, habits and subjective rating of their symptoms. A clinical examination was performed according to RDC/TMD and extended with occlusal factors, parafunctions and habits.

Results

Ear symptoms were reported by 72% of the TMD patients, with ear fullness in 49% as the most frequent symptom. The patients with ear symptoms were significantly older and proportionally more often females. Ear symptoms were significantly correlated to the subjective index, to myalgia (p = 0.003), decreased opening capacity (p = 0.01), TMJ pain (p = 0.02), parafunctions (p = 0.007), and some occlusal factor (p = 0.018–0.003). Muscle pain on palpation was significantly associated with ear fullness, and changed hearing and sensitivity to sound, on the same side (p < 0.005).

Conclusions

Ear symptoms are frequently reported by TMD patients. Concomitant ear symptoms are associated with oral parafunction and muscle pain on palpation on the same side as the ear symptoms.

Secondary Otalgia: Referred Pain Pathways and Pathologies

Otalgia is very common, and when the cause of ear pain is not identified on otoscopy and physical examination, cross-sectional imaging is routinely used to evaluate for potential sources of referred ear pain (secondary otalgia). Innervation of the ear structures is complex, involving multiple upper cervical, lower cranial, and peripheral nerves, which transit and innervate a large anatomic territory involving the brain, spine, skull base, aerodigestive tract, salivary glands, paranasal sinuses, face, orbits, deep spaces of the neck, skin, and viscera. Interpreting radiologists must be familiar with these neural pathways and potential sources of secondary otalgia. The purposes of this review are to detail the currently proposed mechanisms of referred ear pain, review the salient neuroanatomy of the complex pathways responsible for secondary otalgia, highlight important benign and malignant etiologies of referred ear pain, and provide a structured search pattern for approaching these challenging cases on cross-sectional imaging.

Evaluation of aural manifestations in temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction

Thirty patients with temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction were selected to investigate the changes in otoacoustic emissions before and after conservative treatment of their temporo-mandibular joints. Pure tone audiometry, transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) as well as a tinnitus questionnaire were administered to all patients before and after therapy. Therapy was conservative in the form of counselling, physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory agents, muscle relaxants, and occlusal splints. Results indicated insignificant changes in the TEOAEs, whereas there were significant increases in distortion product levels at most of the frequency bands. These results were paralleled to subjective improvement of tinnitus.

Otalgia

The patient presenting with otalgia poses a diagnostic challenge for which orderly and diligent evaluation and management is needed. The etiology of otalgia can be either primary or referred, and a detailed history and physical examination with directed studies as indicated can elucidate the cause of the pain.