Eagle’s Syndrome as a Cause of Discomfort and the Subjective Presence of a Foreign Body in the Throat

Eagle syndrome consists of symptoms resulting from the elongation and excessive calcification of the styloid process of the temporal bone and calcification of the ligaments associated with this process. The main symptoms of this syndrome are the feeling of a foreign body in the throat, dysphagia and pain localized in the temporomandibular region, neck and ear. The authors describe the case report of a previously healthy 39-year-old Caucasian male that complained of discomfort and foreign body sensation in his throat. Computed tomography (CT) showed the presence of an elongated styloid process bilaterally with clear predomination at the left side. The patient underwent laryngological and surgical consultation. Due to the lack of symptoms related to the compression of the carotid arteries, no surgery was recommended. In summary, Eagle’s syndrome is a rare condition characterized by craniofacial pain or foreign body sensation that should be considered, especially if the pain is unilateral. CT imaging in his case was a perfect tool and enabled a suitable diagnosis of this rare syndrome.

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Bilateral Atypical Facial Pain Caused by Eagle’s Syndrome

Case Reports in Dentistry ◽

10.1155/2020/3013029 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

V. Anuradha ◽

Ravi Sachidananda ◽

Satish Kumaran Pugazhendi ◽

Preeti Satish ◽

Romir Navaneetham

Keyword(s):

Foreign Body ◽

Surgical Resection ◽

Facial Pain ◽

Styloid Process ◽

Radiological Examination ◽

Atypical Facial Pain ◽

Eagle’S Syndrome ◽

Elongated Styloid Process ◽

Facial Neuralgia ◽

Body Sensation

Recurrent throat pain, “foreign body” sensation, difficulty in swallowing, or vague facial pain is many times caused by the presence of an elongated styloid process. Many times, this condition is misdiagnosed and the patient is treated for facial neuralgia. But once Eagle’s syndrome is confirmed by clinical and radiological examination, the treatment is always surgical resection. The approach maybe intraoral or extraoral. In this paper, we present a case of Eagle’s syndrome caused by bilateral elongation of the styloid process and where surgical resection of the same gave instant permanent relief for the patient.

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Eagle Syndrome: an underdiagnosed cause of orofacial pain

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2020-238161 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. e238161

Author(s):

João Ferreira de Barros ◽

Maria Vieira Rodrigues ◽

Leonor Aurélio Barroso ◽

Isabel Cruz Amado

Keyword(s):

Orofacial Pain ◽

Rare Condition ◽

Styloid Process ◽

High Clinical Suspicion ◽

Body Sensation ◽

Cervical Approach ◽

Considerable Length ◽

Eagle Syndrome

Eagle Syndrome (ES), also termed stylohyoid syndrome or styloid syndrome, is a rare condition characterised by a cluster of symptoms related to an elongation of the styloid process (SP) of the temporal bone. These may range from mild pharyngeal foreign body sensation and dysphagia to severe orofacial pain. High clinical suspicion is necessary owing to the unspecific clinical picture and limited diagnostic clues. Until a definitive diagnosis is achieved, these patients may develop symptoms which significantly impact their quality of life. The aim of this article is to report a case of ES in which a considerable length of SP was documented. Diagnosis was made years after the initial complaints and several medical workups by different specialties. Surgical resection of the elongated process by cervical approach was the adopted treatment modality. Patient recovery and follow-up was satisfactory, with remission of the afflicting symptoms.

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Tonsillostyloidectomy for Eagle’s syndrome: a study of 20 cases

International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery ◽

10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20160064 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 22

Author(s):

Roohie Singh ◽

Jeevan R. Galagali

Keyword(s):

Foreign Body ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Laryngopharyngeal Reflux ◽

Pain Syndrome ◽

Styloid Process ◽

Eagle’S Syndrome ◽

Throat Pain ◽

Body Sensation ◽

Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease ◽

Oral Approach

Background: Eagle’s syndrome is a pain syndrome which occurs due to elongated and misdirected styloid process. It is commoner than generally thought.Methods: 20 cases of styalgia were diagnosed and prospectively studied at two hospitals. The characteristic symptoms were chronic throat pain and foreign body sensation in throat. Diagnosis was made with clinical symptoms, physical examination in form of intraoral palpation of styloid and radiological correlation. All patients underwent Tonsillostyloidectomy for affected sites under General anaesthesia. The patients were followed up for 12 weeks post-operatively and relief of symptoms was noted. Results: Chronic throat pain was the commonest symptom. Most cases were associated with chronic tonsillitis or Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD). 19 (95%) patients were symptom free by 4 weeks postoperatively.Conclusions: In an established case of Styalgia with intraoral palpable styloid tip, tonsillostyloidectomy by intra-oral approach gives good results. Also, LPRD may be a possible aetiology of the disease. Incidentally, it was found that position of head over neck should be intraoperatively adjusted in order to suit easy approach to the styloid depending on antero-posterior angulation of styloid.

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Eagle’s Syndrome: Transoral Styloidectomy a Technique Modification Case Report

Journal of Oral & Dental Health ◽

10.33140/jodh.04.03.02 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

Keyword(s):

Correct Diagnosis ◽

Rare Condition ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Styloid Process ◽

Unknown Etiology ◽

Eagle’S Syndrome ◽

Anatomical Structures ◽

History Of ◽

Eagle Syndrome ◽

Sixth Decade

Eagle’s Syndrome is a rare condition with unknown etiology that mainly affects female patients between the third and sixth decade of life. It was first described in 1937 by Dr. Watt W. Eagle, in a study carried out in a group of patients whose main symptom was cervicopharyngeal pain caused by elongation of the styloid process and/or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament [1]. The diagnosis of this pathology is based on the anamnesis and physical examination together with imaging exams of the patients. Cervicofacial pain, palpation of the styloid process in the tonsillar fossa and limitation in neck mobility are the most classic signs and symptoms of this disease [2]. Due to the nonspecific symptoms present in these patients, this disease is usually underdiagnosed and confused with temporomandibular disorders, cervical myalgias, and even being diagnosed as atypical trigeminal neuralgias [3]. For this reason, clinical examination and imaging exams, are indispensable for the correct diagnosis and evaluation of anatomical structures [3]. We present a case of a woman with a history of eagle syndrome which was diagnosed and treated at the Hospital clinico metropolitano El Carmen Santiago, Chile.

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An Asymptomatic and Overelongated Styloid Process

Case Reports in Dentistry ◽

10.1155/2017/7971595 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-3 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emrah Soylu ◽

Ahmet Altan ◽

Ahmet Ercan Sekerci ◽

Nıhat Akbulut

Keyword(s):

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Present Report ◽

Rare Condition ◽

Styloid Process ◽

Anatomical Structures ◽

Elongated Styloid Process ◽

Eagle Syndrome

Elongation of the styloid process is a rare condition. Only 4% of patients have clinical symptoms where elongated styloid process (ESP) occasionally irritates or disrupts adjacent anatomical structures, which is called Eagle syndrome. This present report was aimed at reporting an asymptomatic ESP with unusual width and length.

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An overview of Eagle’s syndrome

British Journal of Pain ◽

10.1177/2049463720969741 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 204946372096974

Author(s):

Emma Searle ◽

Adrian Searle

Keyword(s):

Gold Standard ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Rare Condition ◽

Styloid Process ◽

Eagle’S Syndrome ◽

Computed Tomographic ◽

Presenting Symptoms ◽

Elongated Styloid Process ◽

Pain Clinics ◽

Stylohyoid Ligament

Eagle’s syndrome is a condition that typically does not present to pain clinics. It consists of an elongated styloid process greater than 25 mm and/or stylohyoid ligament calcification causing an unusual array of symptoms, relating to anatomical involvement. Multiple specialities may be involved with the diagnosis of this rare condition. Three-dimensional reconstructive computed tomographic (CT) scan remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Depending on the presenting symptoms, care should be directed to an appropriate specialist. Pain surrounding Eagle’s syndrome does not typically resolve using simple pharmacological methods. Eagle’s syndrome should remain a diagnosis to be considered when faced with non-resolving head/facial pain.

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Eagle's syndrome: A case report of a 39-year-old male

Avicenna Journal of Dental Research ◽

10.34172/ajdr.2020.14 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 68-70

Author(s):

Farzaneh Pakdel ◽

Maryam Hossinpour Sarmadi ◽

Salar Payahoo ◽

Golchin Jabbari ◽

Farshad Javadzadeh

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Foreign Body ◽

Carotid Artery ◽

The Other ◽

Foreign Body Sensation ◽

Cold Weather ◽

Eagle’S Syndrome ◽

Body Sensation ◽

Panoramic Images ◽

Stylohyoid Ligament

Ossifying stylohyoid ligament can be seen accidently in panoramic images. Sometimes this status is asymptomatic. However, in the presence of symptoms such as pain in the pharynx, a foreign body sensation, tinnitus or otalgia it is called Eagle’s syndrome. The other symptoms due to the pressure on carotid artery including migraines, aphasia or vertigo and syncope especially in turning head to suffering side may be reported. This case was a thirty-nine-year-old man by thick ossified stylohyoid ligament in both sides along with five pseudoarticles together with a background of head and neckache specially in cold weather.

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Eagle’s Syndrome Presenting As Unilateral Pain In The Anterolateral Neck And Referred Otalgia

Journal of Bahria University Medical and Dental College ◽

10.51985/jbumdc2018104 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 09 (01) ◽

pp. 77-79

Author(s):

Waseem Mehmood Nizamani ◽

Ameet Jesrani ◽

Mujtaba Khan ◽

Kalthoum Tlili ◽

Nader Al Khuraish ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multislice Computed Tomography ◽

Rare Condition ◽

Styloid Process ◽

Maximum Intensity ◽

Eagle’S Syndrome ◽

Anatomical Structures ◽

Body Sensation ◽

Wide Range ◽

Stylohyoid Ligament ◽

Maximum Intensity Projections

Eagles syndrome or stylohyoid syndrome is a rare condition where slender elongated temporal styloid process or ossified stylohyoid ligament manifest a wide range of symptoms including otalgia, dysphagia, foreign body sensation in throat, pain in retrogonia or along anterolateral neck. It occurs mostly unilaterally however bilateral cases are also reported. Multislice computed tomography with maximum intensity projections reconstructions is used for diagnosis and management purposes. It also aids to see its compressive effect on adjacent anatomical structures

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Eagle syndrome as a cause of transient ischemic attacks

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2008.3.17435 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 110 (1) ◽

pp. 90-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Hamad I. Farhat ◽

Mohamed Samy Elhammady ◽

Habib Ziayee ◽

Mohammad Ali Aziz-Sultan ◽

Roberto C. Heros

Keyword(s):

Carotid Arteries ◽

Oral Surgery ◽

Cranial Nerves ◽

Styloid Process ◽

Neutral Position ◽

Transient Ischemic Attacks ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Elongated Styloid Process ◽

Eagle Syndrome ◽

Symptoms And Signs

Eagle syndrome is an uncommon entity but is well known in the otorhinolaryngology and oral surgery literature. This syndrome results from the compression of cranial nerves in the neck by an elongated styloid process causing unilateral cervical and facial pain. The styloid process can also cause compression of the cervical carotid arteries leading to the so-called carotid artery syndrome together with carotidynia or neurological symptoms due to flow reduction in these arteries. The authors discuss the case of a 70-year-old man who suffered from transient ischemic attacks on turning his head to the left, with immediate remission of symptoms when his head returned to the neutral position. The patient was studied with dynamic angiography, which clearly showed focal flow restriction. Once a diagnosis was made, the styloid process was removed surgically and the patient completely recovered from his symptoms. A postoperative angiogram demonstrated complete resolution of the pathology. Neurosurgeons might encounter patients with Eagle syndrome and should be aware of the symptoms and signs. Once the diagnosis is made, the treatment is clear and very effective.

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A Rare Cause for Cervical Pain: Eagle's Syndrome

International Journal of Dentistry ◽

10.1155/2009/781297 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2009 ◽

pp. 1-3 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Massimo Politi ◽

Corrado Toro ◽

Giulia Tenani

Keyword(s):

Carotid Arteries ◽

Styloid Process ◽

Branchial Arch ◽

Mastoid Process ◽

External Carotid ◽

Cervical Pain ◽

Eagle’S Syndrome ◽

Voice Changes ◽

Body Sensation ◽

Pain Symptoms

Patients with pharyngodynia and neck pain symptoms can lead to an extensive differential diagnosis. Eagle's syndrome must be taken in account. Eagle defined “stylalgia” as an autonomous entity related to abnormal length of the styloid process or to mineralization of the stylohyoid ligament complex. The stylohyoid complex derives from Reichert's cartilage of the second branchial arch. The styloyd process is an elongated conical projection of the temporal bone that lies anteriorly to the mastoid process. The incidence of Eagle's syndrome varies among population. Usually asymptomatic, it occurs in adult patients. It is characterized by pharyngodynia localized in the tonsillar fossa and sometimes accompanied by disphagia, odynophagia, foreign body sensation, and temporary voice changes. In some cases, the stylohyoid apparatus compresses the internal and/or the external carotid arteries and their perivascular sympathetic fibers, resulting in a persistent pain irradiating in the carotid territory. The pathogenesis of the syndrome is still under discussion.

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