From Diagnosis to Treatment: Eagle Syndrome

Eagle syndrome (ES) is a symptom complex including recurrent neck and throat pain, foreign body sensation in the throat and dysphagia as a result of the elongation of the styloid process or the mineralization of the stylohyoid ligament complex. The symptoms of ES may worsen with lateral rotation of the head and it may less commonly present with tinnitus, weakness on the tongue, altered speech, intermittent loss of taste or dry mouth. If carotid compression is present, it may also present with episodes of fainting or stroke. An asymptomatic elongated styloid process alone does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ES. The pathogenesis of this syndrome is still debatable. It may be treated either non-surgically or surgically. Pain modulators, transpharyngeal local infiltrations of anesthetic solutions or steroid medications, or neck exercises are among the non-surgical options. Surgical treatment includes intraoral or extraoral approaches, both of which comprise resection of the elongated styloid process.