Mönckeberg medial calcific sclerosis mimicking temporomandibular disorder and giant cell arteritis: a case report.

This article focuses on a case report of Mönckeberg medial calcific sclerosis (MCS) presenting with symptoms that mimicked temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) in an 84-year-old woman. MCS is a non-inflammatory vascular calcification primarily affecting the tunica media of muscular arteries and is rare in the temporal artery, whereas GCA is an inflammatory vasculitis requiring urgent treatment. The patient exhibited jaw claudication and temporal headache, initially suggesting TMD or GCA, but temporal artery biopsy revealed fibrous intimal thickening and medial calcification consistent with MCS, without inflammatory changes typical of GCA. The report emphasizes the diagnostic challenge in older patients with overlapping symptoms and proposes an algorithm integrating Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) with systemic evaluation to differentiate MCS from TMD and GCA, facilitating accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.