Eagle’s syndrome: Modern systematic review and presentation of radiographic cases

Abstract

Introduction: The styloid process is a bony structure of the base of the skull, which can undergo pathological structural changes. So, its elongation may possibly provoke Eagle’s syndrome, also known as stylohyoid syndrome, which is a head and neck pathological condition that rarely manifests with severely painful symptomatology. Objective: The present literature review aims to deal with the understanding of the pathophysiology, as well as the investigation of the diagnostic and therapeutic facts regarding Eagle’s syndrome. Materials – Methods: An extended research of modern literature through papers published in scientific journals has been conducted, deploying the databases PubMed and Google Scholar. Results: Eagle’s syndrome is a rare pathological condition, whose prevalence is approximately 4% of general population. In the literature, several pathogenetic patterns have been reported and they are divided into acquired and idiopathic biochemical mechanisms. In order to diagnose the disease, one should take the painful symptoms referred by the patient into consideration, in conjunction with specific clinical tests. However, the final diagnosis is set after the radiological evaluation. Eagle’s syndrome manifests with non-specific symptomatology, thus it should be differentiated from other diseases and conditions of the head and neck anatomical area. Regarding the therapy of the syndrome, a vast range of conservative choices is available nowadays, mainly basedon drugs, while at the same time there are surgical techniques with comparatively better long-term outcome. Conclusions: There is an expressively increased interest, regarding the diagnosis and the therapeutics of Eagle’s syndrome. Modern medical sciences attempt to gradually advance the diagnostic methodology and constantly improve the therapeutic choices of this disease. The ultimate purpose is the more effective management of the patients and the enhancement of their life quality.