ELONGATED STYLOID PROCESS AND EAGLES SYNDROME

A controversial entity, Eagle's syndrome, is reviewed. After an anatom ical description of the maxillo-vertebro-pharyngeal region we summariz e the causative, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of the syndrome. T wo different conditions are often reported as Eagle's syndrome: one ch aracterized by dysphagia and unilateral pharyngeal pain radiating to t he ear and worsened by swallowing; the other characterized by pain in the head and neck region due to compression of the neurovascular struc ture by an elongated styloid process. The latter also includes typical cranial neuralgias (such as glossopharyngeal neuralgia) and carotidyn ia We believe that the term ''Eagle's syndrome'' is legitimate only in the first case and in those ''atypical'' painful head and neck condit ions related to an elongated styloid process and relieved by styloidec tomy. We believe Eagle's syndrome deserves consideration in the Intern ational Headache Classification.