Elongated styloid process – report of two rare cases

Styloid process of temporal bone is a slender projection attached to base of the skull and extends downwards, forwards and slightly medially. From its extremity the stylohyoid ligament passes downwards and forwards to the lesser horns of hyoid bone. The process is covered laterally by the parotid gland, facial nerve crosses its base and the external carotid artery crosses its tip, as they lie within the gland. The anterior surface of styloid gives origin to styloglossus muscle, its tip to stylohyoid muscle. On its deep surface the process is separated from internal jugular vein by the origin of stylopharyngeus muscle [1]. The length of the styloid process is usually 2–3 cm [2]. When it is more than 3 cm it is called as elongated styloid process, and it can cause pain in throat, difficulty in swallowing, foreign body sensation, carotid artery compression syndrome, etc. This elongation was first described in 1652 by Italian surgeon Pietro Marchetti. In 1937, Watt W. Eagle coined the term stylalgia to describe the pain associated with elongation of styloid process [3]. The styloid process is normally composed of dense connective tissue in adults but may retain its embryonic cartilage and the potential for ossification [4]. On review of literature, there were many case reports of elongated styloid but there were no reports of such a long and thick styloid process. Sanjeev Iranna KOLAGI [1] Anita HERUR [2] Ashwini MUTALIK [1]