Angulation of the styloid process in Eagle's syndrome

In a retrospective study, we investigated and compared the angulation and the length of the styloid process between patients operated for Eagle's syndrome and a control group by means of lateral skull and Towne's radiographs. Thirty patients with 51 symptomatic elongated styloid processes underwent surgery. As a control group, patients with chronic otitis media and trauma were included in the study and none of them had symptoms characteristic of an elongated styloid process. The length, medial and anterior angulation of the styloid processes of the patient and the control groups were measured on lateral skull and Towne's radiographs. The mean length of the styloid process was 5 cm on the right and 5.2 cm on the left in the patient group, whereas they were 2.8 and 2.6 cm, respectively, in the control group. The mean degree of anterior angulation in the patient group was 33.6 degrees on the right, 36.7 degrees on the left, whereas these were 21.4 degrees and 18.5 degrees, respectively, in the control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups for length and anterior angulation (P = 0.001). The mean medial angulation was 14 degrees on the right and 18.1 degrees on the left in the patient group, whereas these were 15 degrees and 16.3 degrees in the control group, respectively, and there were no significant differences between the two groups. The anterior angulation and the length of the styloid process are responsible for the symptoms of Eagle's syndrome.