Case report: Surgical treatment by cervical approach of Eagle syndrome

Eagle syndrome is defined as a disease causing various symptoms by the elongated styloid process. Symptoms include abnormal feeling and pain in the pharynx, larynx, and the head and neck region caused by pressing glossopharyngeal nerve, carotid artery or cervical plexus. X-rays and CT imagings are useful for diagnosis. For nonsurgical treatment NSAIDs or anti-epileptic drugs are used. Surgical treatment is the reduction of the elongated styloid process, via intraoral approach or cervical approach. In the present case, bilateral styloid ligaments were totally ossified, and were reduced by surgery via cervical approach.