Stylalgia and Styloidectomy: A Review

Stylalgia also referred to as Eagle's or stylohyoid syndrome (first described by Watt Eagle) is a constellation of signs secondary to an elongated styloid process or due to mineralization of the stylohyoid or stylomandibular ligament or the posterior belly of the digastric muscle (Malik et al. in Iran J Otorhinolaryngol 30(6): 101, 2018). The Eagle's syndrome includes symptoms ranging from stylalgia (i.e., pain in the tonsillar fossa, pharyngeal or hyoid region) to foreign-body sensation in the throat, cervicofacial pain, otalgia or even increased salivation or giddiness. Diagnosis is primarily based on symptomatology, physical examination and radiographic investigations and should not be missed. However, palpation of tonsillar fossa with radiological demonstration of the elongated styloid process confirms the diagnosis. Surgical treatment by tonsillo-styloidectomy produces satisfactory results in stylalgia. (Malik et al. in Iran J Otorhinolaryngol 30(6):101, 2018).

Of Eagle's Syndrome and Finding Some Clarity on Its Management

Eagle's Syndrome is a much discussed yet controversial and debatable diagnosis of exclusion which is treated by many specialities with often unsatisfactory results. Due to entrapment/impingement on surrounding neurovascular structures by elongated styloid process patient may present with multitude of symptoms. Treatment is controversial and opinions are divided on choice of conservative and surgical management. Aim was to study outcomes of conservative and surgical modalities of treatment of Eagle's Syndrome and bring some clarity on management, what to offer, to whom and when. This prospective observational descriptive study included 15 patients of Eagle's Syndrome, 7 were treated with conservative method and 8 underwent resection of styloid process with intraoral approach. With objectives in mind to study efficacy of both management modalities, pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were recorded pre-intervention, post-intervention and during follow up on 1, 3 and 6 months and compared. Conservative management resulted in up to 70% reduction in pain VAS scores till 3 months of therapy (mean pre-intervention score being 3.71, 3 months-1, 6 months-1.29), while surgical modality resulted in nearly 99% reduction in mean pain VAS scores up to 3 months and even improved after 6 months (mean pre-intervention score being 6.75, 3 months-0.5, 6 months-0.13). With this we can conclude that conservative management provide satisfactory short-term (up to 3 months) results but recurrences are known, while surgical resection of elongated styloid process gives better long-term results (6 months and beyond).

Eagle syndrome: toward a clinical delimitation

INTRODUCTION

Orofacial and cervical pain are a frequent reason for neurology consultations and may be due to multiple pathological processes. These include Eagle syndrome (ES), a very rare entity whose origin is attributed to calcification of the stylohyoid ligament or elongation of the temporal styloid process. We present a series of five patients diagnosed with ES.

METHODS

We describe the demographic and clinical characteristics and response to treatment of 5 patients who attended the headache units of 2 tertiary hospitals for symptoms compatible with Eagle syndrome.

RESULTS

The patients were 3 men and 2 women aged between 24 and 51, presenting dull, intense pain, predominantly in the inner ear and the ipsilateral tonsillar fossa. All patients had chronic, continuous pain in the temporal region, with exacerbations triggered by swallowing. Four patients had previously consulted several specialists at otorhinolaryngology departments; one had been prescribed antibiotics for suspected Eustachian tube inflammation. In all cases, the palpation of the tonsillar fossa was painful. Computed tomography scans revealed an elongation of the styloid process and/or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament in 3 patients. Four patients improved with neuromodulatory therapy (duloxetine, gabapentin, pregabalin) and only one required surgical excision of the styloid process.

CONCLUSIONS

Eagle syndrome is a rare and possibly underdiagnosed cause of craniofacial pain. We present 5 new cases that exemplify both the symptoms and the potential treatments of this entity.

Eagle's Syndrome: An Underdiagnosed Condition-Case Series in a Tertiary Care Hospital

To evaluate all the cases of chronic neck pain thoroughly to diagnose eagle's syndrome. Hospital based prospective study done in the department of otorhinolaryngology at our tertiary care hospital from January 2017 to December 2018. We selected 60 subjects in our study who presented to us with complaints of chronic neck pain associated with referred otalgia, along with aggravation of pain with neck movements, odynophagia, throat pain and foreign body sensation in the throat. After thorough clinical examination an orthopantomogram has been done which revealed elongated styloid process. Conservative management with carbamazepine was tried but only temporary relief was noticed in these patients. Hence intra oral tonsillo-styloidectomy was done and patients were followed up to 3 months. Out of 10 patients, 9 were female and 1 was male. 8 patients had bilateral elongated styloid process and 2 patients had unilateral elongation. Orthopantomogram revealed an average elongation of styloid process of 3.5-5 cm and the average length of the removed styloid process ranged from 0.6-3 cm. All patients showed significant improvement post operatively. Eagle's syndrome is not a rarity, but underdiagnosed and missed most of the times. Hence all cases of chronic neck pain should be evaluated thoroughly by taking complete history and proper clinical examination, along with radiological investigations.

Eagle's syndrome: a case report and CT pictorial review

Eagle's syndrome (ES) refers to symptomatic elongation of the ossified styloid process. A styloid process greater than 2.5 cm in length should be considered abnormal; however, an elongated styloid process is not sufficient for a diagnosis of ES; only an abnormal styloid process in association with symptoms can confirm the syndrome. In this case report, we discuss a 54-year-old man who has come to our attention with various symptoms: dysphagia to both solids and liquids, difficulty swallowing, neck pain, and a foreign body sensation during bilateral neck rotation and mouth opening. The diagnosis is performed radiologically because conventional radiographs have many potential disadvantages, whereas, computed tomography (CT) scans and reconstructions allow the length and angulation of the styloid process to be measured and the relationship between the elongated styloid processes and adjacent anatomical structures to be evaluated. Moreover, CT allows for differential diagnosis and provides detailed information needed for surgical planning.

Eagle syndrome: Toward a clinical delimitation

OBJECTIVES

Orofacial and cervical pain are a frequent reason for neurology consultations and may be due to multiple pathological processes. These include Eagle syndrome (ES), a very rare entity whose origin is attributed to calcification of the stylohyoid ligament or elongation of the temporal styloid process. We present a series of five patients diagnosed with ES.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We describe the demographic and clinical characteristics and response to treatment of 5 patients who attended the headache units of two tertiary hospitals for symptoms compatible with Eagle syndrome.

RESULTS

The patients were three men and two women aged between 24 and 51, presenting dull, intense pain, predominantly in the inner ear and the ipsilateral tonsillar fossa. All patients had chronic, continuous pain in the temporal region, with exacerbations triggered by swallowing. Four patients had previously consulted several specialists at otorhinolaryngology departments; one had been prescribed antibiotics for suspected Eustachian tube inflammation. In all cases, the palpation of the tonsillar fossa was painful. Computed tomography scans revealed an elongation of the styloid process and/or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament in three patients. Four patients improved with neuromodulatory therapy (duloxetine, gabapentin, pregabalin) and only one required surgical excision of the styloid process.

CONCLUSIONS

Eagle syndrome is a rare and possibly underdiagnosed cause of craniofacial pain. We present five new cases that exemplify both the symptoms and the potential treatments of this entity.

Lidocine Infiltration Test: An Useful Test in the Prediction of Results of Styloidectomy for Eagle's Syndrome

Eagle's syndrome is caused by elongated styloid process. Its accepted treatment is styloidectomy. However more than one-fourths of patients undergoing styloidectomy do not experience relief. To find the utility of the lidocaine infiltration test to predict the results of styloidectomy in patients clinically diagnosed as having stylalgia. Twenty-six patients undergoing styloidectomy for Eagle's syndrome were included in the study. They were divided into two groups depending on their response to lidocaine infiltration in the tonsillar fossa. Patients were followed up till 3 months after styloidectomy and their pre operative visual analogue scale for pain was compared with the post operative VAS score. Majority of the patients were females and in the fifth decade of life. There were 18 patients in group I and eight patients in Group II. The groups were similar in terms of age and sex distribution and pre operative VAS score for pain. There was good corelation between post infiltration and post operative VAS scores. The test had 94.44 % sensitivity and 87.5 % specificity. The age and sex distribution and the failure rates in the present study were similar to that reported in other studies. There are many other reasons besides elongation which can cause the typical pain of stylalgia and some of them are not amenable to styloidectomy. The lidocaine infiltration test is an useful test to predict the results of styloidectomy for Eagle's syndrome.

Is this way: self inflicted fracture of styloid process cures stylalgia

The treatment of stylalgia varies from region to region. The initial treatment for stylalgia is conservative and if not relieved, styloidectomy is advised. Styloid process fracture has also given favorable results in many patients. We are presenting a rare case of a 45-year-old man who accidentally fractured his own styloid process and got relieved of stylalgia. According to our research, this is probably the first case in the world. In this case report, the authors also discuss the clinical presentation, differential diagnosis of stylalgia and various lines of management for stylalgia.