Hello,
In 2022, I began noticing a strange sensation in my throat: a kind of brief, random spasm that was not painful, as if something contracted for a second. I went to an ENT specialist, who told me that anatomically “there was nothing there that could contract.” He diagnosed me with chronic pharyngitis and prescribed antibiotics. Over time, those spasms disappeared.
However, in 2024, the pain I am still trying to understand today appeared for the first time. I remember it started after forcing my cervical posture while reading in bed with my son, while also heavily straining my voice. Since then, the condition has manifested as a very localized pain on the left anterolateral side of my throat, approximately at the level of the cricothyroid, thyrohyoid, and hyoid regions, sometimes even extending toward the uvula area. It is difficult for me to describe the exact anatomical origin, because pain in the neck and throat can feel diffuse and misleading, but the predominant sensation is one of burning, inflammation, and deep irritation.
The pain is not sudden. It appears progressively, as though the area slowly becomes sensitized, and it can last for hours. In the same way, it fades gradually. There are days when it does not appear at all, and others when it becomes particularly bothersome. I also feel discomfort at the base of my tongue, almost like muscular tension or a localized hypersensitivity in the tissues.
Over time, I have identified some possible triggers, although I still cannot reliably predict the pain. Prolonged cervical postures seem to play a significant role: bending my neck to look at my phone, reading for long periods, or maintaining tension in my neck. Sudden neck movements can also leave the area feeling “sensitive,” making it easier for the pain to appear hours later. I want to emphasize something important: the pain does not appear like a sudden stab or shock. It builds slowly.
Alongside this, I experience other symptoms that I do not know whether they are related or not. I suffer from tinnitus and a peculiar irritation in my left inner ear, a kind of itching sensation that is oddly relieved by clicking my tongue. At certain moments, I also experience significant vocal fatigue and tension in the soft palate that is difficult to describe, similar to that feeling of emotional tightness before crying.
One thing that confuses me is that my condition seems “silent” in relation to certain normal functions: yawning, clearing my throat, or coughing do not trigger pain. In fact, swallowing food can sometimes temporarily relieve it. Swallowing saliva, however, can occasionally feel strange, almost as though my throat momentarily locks or hesitates. During those moments, the same brief contraction I experienced years ago can sometimes reappear, although this is occasional.
Throughout this process, several possible diagnoses have been considered. Initially, there was discussion of glossopharyngeal neuralgia or superior laryngeal nerve neuralgia. I was prescribed carbamazepine, but the results were inconclusive. Later, other specialists considered the possibility of thyrohyoid syndrome. I underwent a lidocaine injection, although a single infiltration did not produce any clear improvement.
The same doctor who suggested thyrohyoid syndrome also raised the possibility of an atypical dystonia. However, other laryngologists dismissed that idea because I do not present the classic symptoms, such as a broken, spasmodic voice or chronic coughing.
Eventually, a neurologist, after seeing that my MRIs and initial CT scans showed no clear findings, suggested that I consider the possibility of a functional neurological disorder. Wanting to honestly explore every diagnostic avenue available, I agreed to continue investigating from that perspective. Before completely ruling out the ENT field, the same doctor recommended repeating the CT scan to exclude other possibilities, including Eagle syndrome.
And it was precisely on that latest CT scan that a new finding appeared: elongation of both styloid processes due to calcification of the stylohyoid ligament. The right side measures 5 cm and the left 4.1 cm. I was told that measurements greater than 3 cm can be clinically significant and that, in the appropriate clinical context — odynophagia, dysphagia, otalgia, or certain vascular symptoms — these findings could be associated with Eagle syndrome.
At the moment, I am waiting to speak again with the laryngologist to determine how significant these findings truly are and whether they could explain part of what I have been experiencing for over two years.
I will not hide the fact that this process has caused me considerable anxiety. After such a long time without clear answers, one inevitably develops a constant awareness of their own body. And the problem is that nearly every doctor agrees that anxiety amplifies pain, creating a difficult cycle to break.
I would also like to share the results of my most recent CT scan, along with the tests performed in 2024 and 2025, in case anyone has experienced something similar or may be able to offer some insight. I hope I have explained myself clearly. Above all, I want to send encouragement to everyone going through long, ambiguous, and exhausting medical processes.
This is what the radiologist found:
CT Scan of the Cervical Spine Without Contrast
Cervical CT
Clinical Information:
Rule out left-sided Eagle syndrome.
Study Technique:
Cervical CT with multiplanar reconstructions using a bone algorithm.
Comparison:
Not available.
Findings:
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Elongation of both styloid processes due to calcification of the stylohyoid ligament:
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Right: 50 mm
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Left: 41 mm
(values greater than 30 mm are considered significant).
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Findings which, in the appropriate clinical context (odynophagia, dysphagia, otalgia, or vascular symptoms), could be related to Eagle syndrome.
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Multilevel cervical degenerative changes (uncovertebral/disc arthrosis), predominantly at C5-C6 and C6-C7.
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At C5-C6: diffuse disc bulging with moderate foraminal stenosis.
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At C6-C7: left foraminal disc protrusion/herniation with a disco-osteophytic component, contacting the exiting left C7 nerve root (clinical correlation recommended).
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Facet arthrosis with mild hypertrophic changes at the left C7-T1 level.
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Opacification of the right maxillary sinus with an air-fluid level, consistent with acute sinus disease.
Conclusion:
- Bilateral elongation of the styloid processes (more pronounced on the right side), related to ossification of the stylohyoid ligament. Potentially compatible with Eagle syndrome in the appropriate clinical context.
Your pain is so real!
