Significance of styloidectomy in Eagle's syndrome: an analysis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Reported here is a randomized retrospective analysis of 28 cases of elongated styloid process causing nagging cervicofacial pain, both unilateral and bilateral, and the effect of styloidectomy in these cases in relieving the symptom complex of the patient, in situations where conservative management failed in alleviating the symptoms. STUDY DESIGN Randomized retrospective analysis over a period of 25 months. CONCLUSION Elongated styloid process causing glossopharyn-geal neuralgia is beginning to be a frequently encountered clinical entity nowadays. Of the 28 cases of elongated styloid process who underwent unilateral/bilateral styloidectomy, 27 patients had total relief of symptoms. Hence, we advocate styloidectomy, following careful diagnosis of the entity with clinical and radiological correlation, if the patient does not respond to medical therapy. The psychological status of the patient would provide clue to the authenticity of the symptoms in unrelieved cases.