Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease presenting as a pseudotumor of the temporomandibular joint.

We report a case of a 66-year-old white woman with calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease. The patient related a 2-month history of swelling with tenderness over the left pre-auricular region. A CT scan suggested a synovial chondromatosis. Surgical removal was done and histologic study showed CPPD crystals. This disease rarely involves the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and is not usually considered in the differential diagnosis. To our knowledge, only 14 cases have been reported in the literature.