Transoral Styloidectomy for Eagle Syndrome: A Case Report With Intraoperative Footage

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Head and Neck Surgery
• Anatomy

Background:

• Eagle syndrome is a rare condition characterized by an elongated styloid process or calcified stylohyoid ligament.
• Symptoms include unilateral neck pain, facial discomfort, odynophagia, and potential neurological disturbances.
• Transoral styloidectomy is a primary surgical treatment but is underutilized due to syndrome rarity and limited training resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a detailed technical report on the transoral approach to styloidectomy.
• To provide intraoperative video documentation as an educational tool for surgeons.
• To highlight the efficacy of transoral styloidectomy, especially when combined with tonsillectomy.

Main Methods:

• A case report of a 64-year-old female with bilateral elongated styloid processes (4.15 cm left, 4.00 cm right).
• The patient underwent transoral styloidectomy combined with tonsillectomy.
• Intraoperative video documentation was used to illustrate the surgical steps.

Main Results:

• The transoral styloidectomy procedure was successfully performed in conjunction with tonsillectomy.
• Detailed visual documentation of the surgical technique was captured.
• The procedure demonstrated its potential as an effective educational resource.

Conclusions:

• Transoral styloidectomy is a technically straightforward surgical option for Eagle syndrome.
• The presented technical report and video documentation can aid in surgeon training for this rare procedure.
• Enhanced surgical training may increase the utilization of this effective treatment for Eagle syndrome.