Osteosarcoma of the temporomandibular joint: report of 2 cases.

The aim of this article is to report 2 cases of osteosarcoma of the mandibular condyle, a rare pathological condition, and to emphasize and discuss the usefulness of different imaging modalities in the diagnosis and evaluation of osteosarcoma of the temporomandibular joint. In our assessment of the different imaging modalities, we found that 2-dimensional computed tomograms provide excellent detection of tumor calcification, cortical involvement, and in most instances, soft tissue and intramedullary extension, whereas 3-dimensional computed tomography vascular protocol can help to define the extension of the lesion, improving the visualization of the lesion's relationship to the adjacent anatomical structures. Magnetic resonance imaging is more effective in demonstrating the intramedullary and extraosseous tumor components on T2 weighted images. Because metastasis from body tumors to the maxillofacial region occurs occasionally, it is useful to examine the oral cavity when symptoms first appear and devote special attention to the subtle changes that may indicate early metastatic involvement.