
What test is done to determine Eagle syndrome?
WHAT TEST IS DONE TO DETERMINE EAGLE SYNDROME - Neurology Community - Dec 28, 2009 IS A FEES TEST (FIBEROPTIC ENDOSCOPIC EVALUATION OF SWALLOWING) THE BEST TEST TO FIND OUT I...
What is the prognosis of Eagle syndrome?
While Eagle syndrome is rare and poorly understood, it’s easily treated with surgery or medication. Most people make a full recovery with no remaining symptoms.
How to diagnose Eagle syndrome?
Diagnosis. Eagle syndrome is diagnosed based on a two-step process: Physical exam. The doctor will take the patient’s medical history, learn about his or her symptoms, and then examine the neck and inside the mouth. CT scan. This imaging technique uses a computer to piece together multiple X-ray images to form cross-sections of the body that ...
What kind of Doctor treats Eagle syndrome?
When symptoms do appear, they often include:
- swallowing difficulties
- a feeling that there is something stuck in the throat
- shooting pains from the throat to the ear or jaw
- pain at the base of the tongue
- pain when swallowing or turning the head to one side
- a persisting ringing or buzzing in the ears
- a headache
- throbbing in the jaw

What causes Eagle syndrome?
Eagle syndrome is caused by either an unusually long styloid process or a calcified stylohyoid ligament. Doctors aren't sure about what causes either one of these. While it can affect people of both genders and all ages, it's more common in women between the ages of 40 and 60.
How do you know if you have Eagle syndrome?
Symptoms of Eagle syndrome When symptoms do appear, they often include: swallowing difficulties. a feeling that there is something stuck in the throat. shooting pains from the throat to the ear or jaw.
Is Eagle syndrome life threatening?
There is a potential for Eagle syndrome to present as a spontaneous, atraumatic fracture of an elongated styloid process leading to acute neck swelling and life-threatening airway compromise.
How do you fix Eagle syndrome?
Medical therapy is first-line treatment for Eagle syndrome. Surgery with resection of the elongated styloid process is considered to be definitive treatment, however, surgery may be contraindicated in some cases or patients may decline operative intervention.
Is Eagle syndrome rare?
Eagle's syndrome (ES) is a rare entity that is not commonly suspected in clinical practice. The prevalence of individuals with an elongated styloid process in the adult population is estimated to be 4% with a very small percent of these individuals reported to be symptomatic.
What doctor do you see for Eagle syndrome?
Go to the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) group. Anyone out there that knows anything about eagle syndrome surgery? I have been diagnosed and surgery is an option.
Can Eagle syndrome cause tinnitus?
Eagle's syndrome is an uncommon condition resulting from an elongated styloid process, which causes cervico facial pain, tinnitus and otalgia. A 48-year-old female presented to the clinic with bilateral upper neck pain radiating to the ears with tinnitus for almost one-year duration.
Can Eagles syndrome cause vertigo?
Rarely, the elongated styloid process may cause pain by compressing the cervical segment of the internal carotid and the surrounding sympathetic plexus, and that pain spreading along the artery can cause neurological symptoms such as vertigo and syncope.
What causes calcification of stylohyoid ligament?
Calcified stylohyoid ligaments are thought to be the result of post-tonsillectomy or traumatic scarring. Elongated styloid processes develop from variations in embryological development. A styloid process is typically considered to be long when it is more than 30 mm.
How long does it take to recover from Eagle syndrome surgery?
The average time to resolution of symptoms was 26.5 days. All surgically treated patients had symptom resolution. All patients resumed their diet within 24 h of surgery.
Can Eagle syndrome cause migraines?
It is more difficult to explain cases of Eagle syndrome associated with migraine and headache, which could be more consistently related to the external compression of internal jugular vein (Fig. 1).
Can you feel stylohyoid muscle?
The stylohyoid muscle can be palpated by placing the fingers along the direction of the muscle fiber under the chin and superiorly to the hyoid bone. Palpation is done laterally from the hyoid bone towards the ear lobe along the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
Why does eagle syndrome occur?
Cause. Eagle syndrome occurs due to elongation of the styloid process or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament. However, the cause of the elongation hasn’t been known clearly. It could occur spontaneously or could arise since birth.
Can eagle syndrome be on both sides?
Ringing or buzzing in the ears. Classic eagle syndrome is present on only one side, however, rarely, it may be present on both sides. In vascular Eagle syndrome, the elongated styloid process comes in contact with the internal carotid artery below the skull.
What is the eagle syndrome?
What is Eagle syndrome? Eagle syndrome is also known as an elongated styloid process or styloid-stylohyoid syndrome. The styloid process is a small bone located just below your ear. This small bone can cause a lot of pain if elongation or if calcification occurs. These things result in pinched vessels or nerves and lead to inflammation.
What are the symptoms of Eagle Syndrome?
They include: Sore throat. Earache. Reduced hearing. Tinnitus. Trouble swallowing or chewing. Feeling as though you have something in your throat.
What does it feel like to have an elongated styloid?
Feeling as though you have something in your throat. Pain when yawning or turning your neck. Facial pain. According to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD), only 4 percent of the population have an elongated styloid process, and most patients are asymptomatic. Eagle syndrome is very rare.
Can you get Eagle Syndrome with a sore throat?
Diagnosis of Eagle Syndrome. Diagnosis of Eagle syndrome can be challenging because there are many illnesses associated with having a sore throat. Your first response may be to visit your doctor, which is always a good idea. But it's also important to schedule an appointment with your dentist.
What causes eagle syndrome?
Other causes of Eagle syndrome include: 1 Tonsillectomy: Sometimes, after having their tonsils out, people develop scar tissue in and around the throat. This can put pressure on surrounding nerves, causing pain and ringing in the ears. 2 Calcification of the stylohyoid ligament: Some people develop calcium deposits on the stylohyoid ligament, which attaches to the styloid process. Most people do not develop symptoms, but some may experience pain and other unusual sensations.
How to treat eagle syndrome?
Surgery is a common and effective treatment for Eagle syndrome. for Eagle syndrome. This procedure, called a styloidectomy, can be done through the mouth or neck. Surgery through the mouth requires removal of the tonsils , and it can be more difficult for the surgeon to access the styloid process.
Can Eagle syndrome be diagnosed?
A doctor may suspect Eagle syndrome based on the symptoms that a person presents. However, it is essential that doctors rule out other possible causes of pain in this area of the body, such as: A doctor may ask about symptoms, take a complete medical history, and perform a physical examination.
Is Eagle syndrome more common in women than men?
GARD also note that Eagle syndrome is more common in women than in men, with about three times as many women as men having symptoms. In this article, we examine the symptoms of Eagle syndrome along with the possible causes. We also look at how the condition can be treated with surgery and managed without it.
Is Eagle syndrome a chronic condition?
, around 95 percent of people receiving endoscopic surgery for Eagle syndrome said that their symptoms were either wholly or partially relieved. For people who choose not to undergo surgery or for whom surgery does not work, Eagle syndrome may be a chronic condition.
Can eagle syndrome cause emotional distress?
If untreated, Eagle syndrome may cause emotional distress. About 80 percent of people who seek treatment for Eagle syndrome get relief, regardless of the treatment they receive. For people who undergo surgery, the outlook may be even better. According to one study.
Is Eagle Syndrome a progressive disease?
Eagle syndrome is not a progressive illness and will not cause other medical conditions. However, some people find that the pain gets worse with time, or that it spreads to other areas of the body. Living with chronic pain can also cause depression, anxiety, and relationship problems.

Overview
Eagle syndrome (also termed stylohyoid syndrome, styloid syndrome, styloid-stylohyoid syndrome, or styloid–carotid artery syndrome) is a rare condition commonly characterized but not limited to sudden, sharp nerve-like pain in the jaw bone and joint, back of the throat, and base of the tongue, triggered by swallowing, moving the jaw, or turning the neck. Since the brain to body's nerv…
Signs and symptoms
Possible symptoms include:
• Sharp, shooting pain in the jaw, back of the throat, base of the tongue, ears, neck, and/or face
• Difficulty swallowing
• Sensation of having a foreign object in throat
Cause
Eagle syndrome occurs due to elongation of the styloid process or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament. However, the cause of the elongation hasn’t been known clearly. It could occur spontaneously or could arise since birth. Usually normal stylohyoid process is 2.5–3 cm in length, if the length is longer than 3 cm, it is classified as an elongated stylohyoid process.
Diagnosis
• Radiograph, lateral view showing elongated stylohyoid process and stylohyoid ligament ossification
• Radiograph, lateral view showing joint-like formation in ossified stylohyoid ligament
• CT scan, coronal section showing bilateral extended styloid process and stylohyoid ligament ossification (incidental finding)
Treatment
In both the classic and vascular form, the treatment is surgical. A partial styloidectomy is the preferred approach. Repair of a damaged carotid artery is essential in order to prevent further neurological complications. Regrowth of the stylohyoid process and relapse being a common occurrence is debatable. Medical management may include the use of pain and anti-inflammatory medications, antidepressants, and/or corticosteroids. The overall success rate for treatment (me…
Epidemiology
Approximately 4% of the general population have an elongated styloid process, and of these about 4% give rise to the symptoms of Eagle syndrome. Therefore, the incidence of stylohyoid syndrome may be about 0.16%.
Patients with this syndrome tend to be between 30 and 50 years of age but it has been recorded in teenagers and in patients > 75 years old. It is more common in women, with a male:female rat…
History
The condition was first described by American otorhinolaryngologist Watt Weems Eagle in 1937.