Abstract
Eagle’s syndrome is caused by either elongation of the styloid process or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament. It is a rare and important cause of chronic neck, pharyngeal, and cervicofacial pain. Its vague symptoms often simulate neurologic pain and temporomandibular joint disorders, delaying diagnosis. We present a case report of a 21-year-old male with a one-year history of neck and facial pain that was not responding to medication. It was eventually diagnosed on imaging and successfully managed by styloidectomy via trans-oral approach. This case was selected because such cases often remain undiagnosed for many months due to symptoms that cannot be attributed to any routine disorders. This case report highlights the importance of delayed diagnosis and reinforces the need for a detailed history, comprehensive intra-oral examination, and investigations in cases of persistent neck pain.
Keywords: eagle’s syndrome, elongated styloid process, stylohyoid
References
Eagle WW. Elongated styloid processes. Arch Otolaryngol. 1937;25(5):584-7.https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.1937.00650010656008
Badhey A, Jategaonkar A, Anglin Kovacs AJ, et al. Eagle syndrome: A comprehensive review. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2017;159:34-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clineuro.2017.04.021
Dziedzic M, Mozdzen K, Murawska A, et al. Eagle’s Syndrome: a systematic review. Pol Otorhino Rev. 2023;12(2):25-38. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0053.7405
Fini G, Gasparini G, Filippini F, et al. The long styloid process syndrome, or Eagle’s syndrome. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2000;28(2):123-7. https://doi.org/10.1054/jcms.2000.0128
de Almeida Azevedo R, Barreto L, Silva Ribas VD, et al. Eagle Syndrome: A Case Report. World J Surg Surg Res. 2019;2(1):1114. https://doi.org/10.25107/2637-4625.1114
Searle E, Searle A. An overview of Eagle’s syndrome. Br J Pain. 2020;15(4):388-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/2049463720969741
Prasad KC, Kamath MP, Reddy KJ, et al. Elongated styloid process (Eagle’s syndrome): a clinical study. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2002;60(2):171-5. https://doi.org/10.1053/joms.2002.29814
Murtagh RD, Caracciolo JT, Fernandez G. CT findings associated with Eagle syndrome. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2001;22(7):1401-2.
Hardin FM, Xiao R, Burkey BB. Surgical management of patients with Eagle syndrome. Am J Otolaryngol. 2018;39(5):481-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjoto.2018.05.003
Stopinska K, Domitrz I. Eagle’s syndrome: one cause, many problems. Presentation of a series of clinical cases with headaches and increased risk of stroke. Arch Med Sci. 2022;18(5):1420-2. https://doi.org/10.5114/aoms/152753.
Pagano S, Ricciuti V, Mancini F, et al. Eagle syndrome: An updated review. Surgical Neurology International. 2023;14(389):1-11. https://doi.org/10.25259/SNI_666-2023

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ashar Alamgir, Tabassum Aziz, Aimen Sohail
