Elongated Styloid Process: An Unusual Cause of Neck Pain and Difficulty in Swallowing

An elongated styloid process is an unusual source of craniofacial and cervical pain. This condition is characterized by a dull, nagging pharyngeal pain and a palpatory finding in the tonsillar fossa. Eagle described it for the first time in 1937 as Eagle’s Syndrome and divided it into two subtypes: the “classic syndrome” and the “stylo-carotid syndrome.” The syndrome generally follows tonsillectomy or trauma. Diagnosis is confirmed by radiological findings. Palpation of the styloid process in the tonsillar fossa and infiltration with anesthetic are also used for making a diagnosis. This article presents a case report of a patient with a history of throat pain that was relieved after surgical treatment.

Eagle syndrome;neck pain;styloid process

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