Int. Adv. Otol. 2009; 6(1); 116-119

Synovial Cyst of the Temporomandibular Joint: An Unusual Presentation.
John Neis, John L. Dornhoffer
College of Medicine University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, Arkansas  dornhofferjohnl@exchange.uams.edu

This case report describes a synovial cyst of the temporomandibular joint in a 57-year-old patient presenting to the Emergency
Department with ear pain and aural fullness. An audiogram revealed moderate downsloping sensorineural hearing loss in both
ears, with a 30-dB air-bone gap at 500 Hz and a 20-dB air-bone gap at 1000 Hz in the left ear. Imaging (CT, MRI) revealed a
soft tissue mass in the left epitympanum. Permanent specimen and frozen sections obtained after surgical removal revealed
the mass to be a synovial cyst. Although the surgery alleviated the aural fullness and restored much of the conductive loss,
the patient still experiences ear pain, despite a normal ear exam, and is currently being treated for TMJ dysfunction.