Hemophilic arthropathy of the temporomandibular joint: Review of the literature, a case report, and discussion

Hemarthrosis of extremity joints in patients with hemophilia has been well documented. However, hemarthrosis of the temporomandibular joint in patients with coagulopathies appears to be rare. Consequently, management of a temporomandibular joint hemarthrosis is difficult because of the lack of treatment guidelines. The purpose of this article is to review the pathophysiology of hemophilic arthropathy and its management. A case of temporomandibular joint hemophilic arthropathy in a patient with a factor XI deficiency will be presented. A brief review of factor XI deficiency and a hypothetical pathophysiological mechanism for internal derangement induced by myofascial pain dysfunction are included.