Evaluation of the relationship between persistent tympanic foramen and temporomandibular joint complaints with cone beam computed tomography

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the presence, frequency and characteristics of persistent tympanic foramen (PTF) in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of patients with temporomandibular joint disease (TMD) and healthy individuals, to reveal the relationship between PTF and TMD and to inform clinicians. In the study, patients were examined in two groups as the TMD group, which included 230 patients, and the healthy group, which included 238 patients. The presence/absence of PTF, its diameter (mm), the presence and type of TMJ pathology, condyle morphology, the presence and type of articular eminence pneumatization (AEP), and the presence and type of glenoid fossa pneumatization (GFP) were examined and recorded. The frequency of PTF in the TMD group (37.8%) was significantly higher than the frequency of PTF in the healthy group (23.5%) (p<0.001). The frequency of PTF in the TMD group was higher in females. The most common condyle pathology in the TMD group was flattening (39.8%), and the most common condyle morphology in all individuals was convex (46.7%). It was observed that PTF affected the AEP distribution, but there was no significant relationship between the GFP distribution and the presence of PTF. PTF may be a predisposing factor for TMD and may cause symptoms in the TMJ region. New prospective studies with larger sample groups are needed to support the results of this study and to better understand the relationship between the presence of PTF and TMD. KEYWORDS: Persistent tympanic foramen, Temporomandibular joint complaint, Cone beam computed tomography