I have to go for an xray of my mandible, for a palpable mass near my ear on my left side..It also says on the rx about TMJ and something else I cant read anyone have any help for me Im a bit worried
Answer:
I am not exactly sure why you are getting a simple x-ray if it is really a suspicious palpable mass that your doctor is evaluating, I would think a CT scan would be more appropriate. I guess it depends upon what the mass is like and how high is the level of suspicion, of course I can't tell by your description. The area that you describe may have other things than TMJ going on. A benign adenoma (non-cancerous tumor) of the parotid gland may also be seen at the same location. (Parotid gland is one of the salivary glands, one on either side lying under the ear over the sides of the jaw). A swollen lymph node may be a possibility too. A plain x-ray would only pick up problems with the bony structures of the jaw, it would not tell you if the mass is a lymph node or an adenoma or anything else.By the way, if you were wondering what TMJ is, its the Temporomandibular Joint, the joint that joins your jaw to your skull; it is the hinge joint that opens your mouth, and swelling or degenerative changes in that joint can cause pain or clicking when you open your mouth.
The details you added do not add much to the discussion. The thyroid cysts do not seem to be a big issue, many people have insignificant thyroid cysts. Blood tests will tell if your thyroid is overactive or not. Once again, I am not sure how an xray will help with diagnosing these cysts or whatever they are. I would just follow what your doctor is recommending as he is the one who examined you and probably has an idea of whats going on.
I'm sure they want to rule out TMJ (you'll find the link below). It's nothing to be really concerned about as it is not a cancer.
http://www.tmj.org/You may just have a swollen lymph node of which they may need to biopsy. You shouldn't worry as you have not yet had a difinitive diagnosis. There are many things it could be that, with treatment, will correct itself.
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