Months back I was pregnant and in extreme pain considering that ES may be my problem. I felt a lot better after giving birth and most of my issues went away. Slowly symptoms are starting to creep back up and I find myself again wondering if it could have anything to do with ES. I was able to get a ct scan with contrast but they did not check my styloids. I’m also not sure what exactly I would be looking for or what part of the ct I would need to post to get an answer. Can anyone guide me on which part of the CT I need to be referencing? Thank you!
I’m sorry your symptoms are coming back @Greenway22. If the scan shows the area between your skull base & hyoid bone, your styloids may be visible. The trouble w/ scans where contrast is used is that the contrast makes the soft tissues visible (which is good) but when soft tissues are visible it can be difficult to see the styloids because the soft tissues can cover them up. Was your scan a CT or an MRI?
It was a ct scan with contrast on the head and neck. I did have another ct scan done regarding my sinuses without contrast. From what I can see on my scan they don’t look anything like the above references.
So sorry that your symptoms are back, must be hard with a baby to look after!
Some members have been able to get their CTs reviewed by radiologists to look at the styloids, that might be possible?
Not sure if there is some way to alter the view of the ct? My scan looks like the little square on the left hand side of the example posted. I may have to look into that regarding Radiologists.
You’re seeing the CT slices which is how a CT is done - many slices. The images I posted are CT slices put in 3D. My CT scan images included 4 3D images so I could better see what the CT scan showed. Some of our members have been able to get the radiology lab where their CT was done, do a 3D conversion of their images. Others have had to do it themselves when they couldn’t get it done professionally.
There are free 3D slicer apps online to convert slices to 3D images. One that’s popular among our forum members is RadiAnt Viewer - https://www.radiantviewer.com.
A few years ago, our member, @SnappleofDiscord, posted detailed instructions for using 3D slicer software w/ a link to the specific software he used.
I hope one or the other of these is helpful for you.
When viewing a 2D CT scan the most useful view for visualizing the styloids is usually the coronal view. You may still have to scroll between the slices to see where each styloid ends to properly measure it. But you should be able to see most of the styloid in a single frame. See attached photo.
@Greenway22 -Even though the may not be clearly seen, to the trained eye, parts of them can be visible & can give an idea of their angle, thickness & length, & if they’re causing vascular compression.
