Eagle Syndrome: A Rare Cause of Stroke in a Young Patient

Stroke is a common acute neurological injury that may develop due to arterial thrombosis or hemorrhage. However, it is uncommon in the young population. The etiologies of stroke in young patients are different compared with those for the elderly population. They include various non-atherosclerotic angiopathies, hematological conditions, and inflammatory disorders. We report the case of a 26-year-old man who presented to the emergency department because he noticed that his right hand had become clumsy. He first noticed this symptom five days before his presentation, but he noticed that his symptom had improved significantly since it began. He reported that he had episodes of neck pain and pain around the ear. He visited the family physician clinic several times for this complaint and was diagnosed as having a temporomandibular joint disorder. Neurological examination revealed decreased muscle strength in the right upper limb with a power of 4/5 along with a sensory deficit. The coordination was intact. No gait ataxia was noted. Considering the patient’s age, the initial diagnosis was a demyelinating disorder such as multiple sclerosis. The patient underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. It demonstrated an increased signal intensity in the territory of the left middle cerebral artery representing a left-sided infarction. Subsequently, the patient underwent computed tomography angiography of the head to rule out any structural malformation. The scan showed the presence of an elongated styloid process that appeared in close proximity to the neck vasculature. These radiological findings are consistent with Eagle syndrome. The patient underwent surgical resection of the styloid process. Eagle syndrome is a rare clinical condition that may have a myriad of clinical presentations. A high index of suspicion for this condition is vital to reach the diagnosis. Physicians should keep this condition in the differential diagnosis of stroke in the young population with no risk factors.