Jaw claudication

A chewing-induced ischemic pain and fatigue of the masticatory muscles caused by inadequate blood flow during increased muscular demand.

Causes

• Inflammatory vascular causes (vasculitis)

  • Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis)

  • Takayasu arteritis

  • Polyarteritis nodosa

• Atherosclerotic vascular causes

  • Atherosclerosis involving the external carotid artery

  • Stenosis or occlusion of branches supplying the masticatory muscles (maxillary artery)

• Non-vascular mimic: Myasthenia gravis

• Other rare causes

  • Severe carotid artery disease

  • Craniofacial vascular disorders

  • Radiation-induced vascular injury

  • Fibromuscular dysplasia affecting relevant vessels (rare)