Extraoral surgical approaches for stylohyoid complex syndrome treatment – two case reports

Abstract

The stylohyoid complex syndrome, also called Eagle syndrome, is a cause of orofacial pain due to an elongation of the styloid process, mineralization of the stylohyoid ligament or elongation of the lesser cornu of the hyoid bone. These pathologic conditions result in reduced mobility of the stylohyoid complex, causing irritation of the surrounding cervical structures upon cervical movements. The primary treatment of this syndrome is medical. If this approach does not provide a satisfactory outcome, the surgeon should proceed to surgical treatment by total or partial styloidectomy. The surgical approach can be intra or extraoral, and morbidity is mainly related to the complex structures near the styloid process. In this paper, we present two cases of stylohyoid complex syndrome treated by styloidectomy. We used a lateral cervicotomy approach on one patient and a modified preauricular approach on the other.