Unusual grooved styloid process in a human skull: morphological details and clinical implications

The temporal Styloid Process is an important anatomical landmark for surgeons while performing skull based surgery, for anaesthetists while injecting local anaesthetic solution and for radiologists during interpretation of CT and MRI scans. Knowledge of morphological variations of the styloid process such as a unique groove on its posterior aspect as seen in the present case not only has great clinical implications but is also of academic interest. The present article describes in detail an unusual groove in the styloid process with an additional anterior angulation at its tip. The morphological features, embryological basis and clinical relevance is discussed in details.