Ectopic Presence of Tooth Within the Mandibular Condyle

This article describes the case of a 41-year-old woman who presented with the complaint of crepitation sound and mild pain in the left temporomandibular joint area. Panoramic radiographs taken to rule out degenerative or arthritic changes in the joints demonstrated a radiopaque mass within the left condyle. Cone beam computed tomography scans revealed an ectopic tooth located centrally within the left condyle. Thus, while considered rare, the mandibular condyle can be a possible location of an ectopic tooth.

1. Burton DJ, Scheffer RB. Serratia infection in a patient with bilateral subcondylar impacted third molars and associated den-tigerous cysts: Report of case. J Oral Surg 1980;38:135–138.

2. Markowitz NR, Wolford DG, Harrington WS, Monaco F. Bilateral vertical impacted third molars of the midramus. Oral SurgOral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1979;47:107.

3. Muller EJ. Tooth in coronoid process. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1983;55:327.

4. Gunther G. Tooth in coronoid process. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1976;42:539.

5. Wassouf A, Eyrich G, Lebeda R, Grätz KW. Surgical removal of a dislocated lower third molar from the condyle region: Case report. Schweiz Monatsschr Zahnmed 2003;113:416–420.

6. Medici A, Raho MT, Anghinoni M. Ectopic third molar in the condylar process: Case report. Acta Biomed Ateneo Parmense 2001;72:115–118.

7. Salmerón JI, del Amo A, Plasencia J, Pujol R, Vila CN. Ectopic third molar in condylar region. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2008;37:398–400.

8. Bux P, Lisco V. Ectopic third molar associated with a dentigerous cyst in the subcondylar region: Report of case. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1994;52:630–632.

9. Wang CC, Kok SH, Hou LT, et al. Ectopic mandibular third molar in the ramus region: Report of a case and literature review. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2008; 105:155–161.

10. Sutton P. Migrating nonerupted mandibular premolars: A case of migration into the coronoid process. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1968;25:87–98.

11. Okada H, Miyake S, Toyama K, Yamamoto H. Intraosseous tooth migration of impacted mandibular premolar: Computed tomography observation of 2 cases of migration into the mandibular neck and the coronoid process. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2002;60:686–689.