S14 

ORAL PRESENTATION 

 

Eagle Syndrome: The Forgotten Entity 

 
Muhamad Ariff Sobani1, Noor Shairah Mat Barhan1, Abdul Azim Al-Abrar Ahmad Kailani1,2, Norazila 

Abdul Rahim1, Masaany Mansor1  

 
Elongated styloid process or Eagle syndrome is a rare condition presenting with a wide range of 

symptoms including throat pain, foreign body sensation, neck pain and ear pain. Establishing a 

diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and understanding of this entity by the physician. Computed 

tomography (CT) is the gold standard to diagnose Eagle syndrome. Conservative medical treatment 

with analgesics, oral steroids and anticonvulsants are offered in patients who refused surgery. The 

mainstay of treatment is surgical resection via intraoral or cervical approaches. We describe a rare case 

of bilateral Eagle syndrome in a 46-year-old female who was presented with chronic foreign body 

sensation in the throat but aggravated following fish bone ingestion. Flexible 

nasopharyngolaryngoscopy (FNPLS) and cervical x-ray did not reveal any foreign body and the patient 

was treated conservatively. Incidentally, a cervical x-ray also revealed an elongated styloid process 

bilaterally. Upon follow-up, the patient was still symptomatic. Thus, a CT scan with contrast of the neck 

was requested, which reported no foreign body, but the presence of bilateral elongated styloid process 

suggesting Eagle Syndrome. The patient was subjected to transoral endoscopic assisted bilateral 

styloidectomy following tonsillectomy. There was a complete resolution of the symptoms 

postoperatively. This approach is recommended to avoid external scarring and minimize postoperative 

pain. Eagle syndrome is diagnosed based on a combination of physical examination and radiological 

findings. The treatment options may vary based on the severity of symptoms. 

 

Keywords: Eagle Syndrome, elongated styloid process, transoral, endoscopic, styloidectomy 

 

 

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1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of 

Medicine, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, 

Malaysia.  

2Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, Health 

Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia 

Correspondence to:  

Muhamad Ariff Sobani1, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of 

Medicine, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, 

Malaysia. Email: ariffsobani@gmail.com  

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31344/ijhhs.v6i0.404

mailto:ariffsobani@gmail.com