Current diagnosis and transoral surgical treatment of Eagle's syndrome

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discuss the current diagnosis of Eagle's syndrome and to present our experience in transoral surgical treatment of the syndrome. Materials and Methods: Nineteen patients with Eagle's syndrome due to elongated styloid process were included in this clinical trial. Diagnostic work-up also consists of 3-dimensional computed tomography scanning in recent cases. Elongated styloid processes were resected via transoral approach under general anesthesia. Results: Three-dimensional computed tomography scanning depicted how the preoperative estimation of the styloid length correlated with the true styloid length measure intraoperatively. No postoperative complications were encountered, while the chief symptoms of all patients regressed after surgery. Conclusions: Three-dimensional computed tomography scanning is an advanced technique that can measure the definitive length of styloid process and takes the physician straightforward to the exact diagnosis. The transoral approach is a safe surgical alternative that achieves adequate treatment of Eagle's syndrome. (c) 2005 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.