A 30-year-old woman presents with recurrent ipsilateral facial and throat pain aggravated by swallowing and head turning. CT of the neck with bone windows shows an elongated styloid process exceeding 3 cm with a partially ossified stylohyoid ligament extending toward the hyoid. What is the diagnosis?

• A Eagle syndrome ✓
• B Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
• C Carotidynia
• D Hyoid bone fracture

Explanation

Eagle syndrome results from an elongated styloid process, defined as greater than 3 cm on imaging, or ossification of the stylohyoid ligament, compressing the glossopharyngeal nerve or carotid sheath structures to cause pharyngeal, facial or ear pain worsened by swallowing and rotation. Many asymptomatic people have elongated styloids, so symptoms plus the imaging correlate are required, which is why incidental ossification alone cannot be called disease.

Reference: Grainger and Allison's Diagnostic Radiology, 6th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.