A Prolonged Time to Diagnosis Due to Misdiagnoses: A Case Report of an Atypical Presentation of Eagle Syndrome

Patient: Male, 23-year-old Final Diagnosis: Eagle syndrome Symptoms: Pain Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Dentistry • Pathology OBJECTIVE: Unusual clinical course BACKGROUND: Eagle syndrome is an unusual condition in which the styloid process (SP) becomes elongated and causes different clinical symptoms due to pressure on adjacent anatomical structures. The symptoms are non-specific and include severe throat, facial, and ear pain, or headaches. They are usually exacerbated by head rotation, swallowing, yawning, or chewing, but atypical presentations exist. It is a difficult pathology to diagnose and it can take several years before a proper diagnosis is made. CASE REPORT: This report describes the case of a dental student presenting with an atypical presentation of Eagle syndrome. His styloid processes were 75 mm long and he was affected with severe pain to his throat, the anterior part of his ears, his submandibular area, and his molar teeth. The pain was exacerbated during maximal mouth opening, yawning, mandibular protrusion, and during downward head tilt, but not during the classically described movements of head rotation, swallowing, yawning, or chewing. Due to the absence of the classic symptoms, even with knowledge of the condition and unusual direct access to several oral and maxillofacial specialists, it took 4 years and multiple misdiagnoses to reach the final diagnosis. Following bilateral styloidectomy, all pain subsided. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentation of Eagle syndrome varies, and the symptoms are non-specific. This greatly increases the complexity of diagnosing the condition and raises the time to diagnosis and the chances of misdiagnoses. It is, therefore, crucial to recognize the diagnostic tools, applicable imaging, and definitive treatment alternatives to successfully identify and treat patients affected.