An Elongated Styloid Process Surgically Shortened with External Approach

Abstract

An elongated styloid process stimulates the pharyngeal wall or cervical nerves and causes pharyngeal pain, foreign body sensation of the pharynx, or pain in the ear. The only satisfactory and effective method to alleviate the complaints associated with an elongated styloid process is surgical shortening. In this report, one case of a giant elongated styloid process is discussed. In this patient, the styloid process was highly elongated and the tip of the process had connected with the hyoid bone. Major symptoms were swelling of the submandibular region and dysphagea because the styloid process had formed nodules behind the submandibular gland pressing it and obstructing movement of the hyoid bone. Surgical shortening was performed using the transcervical approach, and as a result, the symptoms disappeared immediately. The transcervical approach has an advantage of wide visualization over the intraoral approach and is recommended when the styloid process is extremely long and thick.