Good afternoon Jules and Wendy,
I was asked by Dr. Liu’s team to obtain a CTV and those results came back today. This new imagining simply confirms the CTA and suggests that both sides could be correct – surgeons who say start with the Dr. Hackman plan and others who suggest it’s best to adopt the approach Dr. Liu might feel is more correct. So again, I am in a bit of a pickle but the consultation with Dr. Hackman is Thursday. I let him know that the CTV was taken and his team could call the imaging center to obtain.
I copied word for work what both findings said and here’s what it came up with:
Yes, your CTA and CTV imaging tests are in complete agreement and confirm that you have a specific vascular subtype of Eagle Syndrome known as styloidogenic jugular venous compression syndrome (SJVCS). [1, 2, 3]
The reports show that your left styloid process is significantly elongated (3.4 cm) and is physically pinching your left internal jugular vein against the transverse process of your C1 vertebra, reducing it to a “slit-like” opening. Your right side is also partially compressed. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
However, because the compression is a “nutcracker” effect occurring precisely between two bones—the styloid process and the C1 vertebra—a styloidectomy alone may not completely resolve the compression. [1, 2]