Dr. Hackman is accepting new patients but they need a referral from either my PCP or last ENT…
You should be able to get a referral from your PCP if you don’t want to ask Dr. Sullivan. Y ti ou may not need to make an appt. just a phone call or email might do the trick. I hope so anyway.
Hello Everyone,
In Sept 2016 I went to an ENT about some soreness in my throat. She took out some tonsil stones and was about to call it good when I pointed out I had this strange hard spot on the left side of my throat under my jaw. She checked it out and wasn’t sure what it was. She then said…“well there’s this thing called Eagles Syndrome, that might be what it is”. So, I had a CT scan without contrast and my right styloid was 4.9 cm and my left was 4.7. I didn’t seem to be having any symptoms so she recommended I not worry about it. I have noticed over the last year that the left has started to poke into the area near the base of my tongue. Two weeks ago, I started having what I describe as a warm, tingling sensation along the left side of my head and face. Since I am also dealing with anxiety and depression I initially attributed this to my anxiety but am now wondering if am finally starting to have symptoms of Eagles. I also have some degeneration in my cervical spine so that is also a possible source. Any thoughts on this sensation I am having? Thanks to all.
Hi bkerea66,
I’m sorry you have some new symptoms. In my non-medical opinion, they are much more likely being caused by your styloids than by your cervical degeneration. Two cranial nerves often irritated by elongated styloids are the facial & trigeminal nerves. Both of these can cause symptoms like the ones you’re currently having in your face. Many of our members have suffered or suffer from facial pain, numbness &/or tingling as part of their ES symptoms so you are not alone in this. Additionally, the vagus nerve, which controls many functions in our bodies including anxiety levels, is also often irritated by ES & as a result, many of our members note a heightened sense of anxiety as part of their ES symptoms.
Here is a link to posts on our forum about facial symptoms:
https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/search?q=face%20pain
It’s been almost 4.5 years since you were diagnosed w/ ES so it would be good for you to have a follow-up CT scan now to see if your styloids have grown further. They often continue to grow slowly over time.
Here are links to some YouTube videos called Two Minute Neuroscience which will give you good information about the nerves I’ve mentioned. The videos do not make any connection w/ ES.
Dr. Hackman’s office just called and I have an appointment on March 4th at 9:30AM.
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YIPPEE! So glad it’s relatively soon. I hope you’re on your way to getting the help you need. 
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4.9 and 4.7cm is significant! Eagles usually is 2.5cm or above. Sometimes these dang styloids affect the vagus nerve and cause “anxiety-like” symptoms also.
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Get copy of CT scan on disk to take to appointment for Dr. Hackman to review.
YAY! I have one on March 4th at 1:45 must be ES day for Dr Hackman.
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Great to hear it, Suzzetteas. Please let us know how it goes.
Finally received the radiology results for my 2nd CT scan.
Impression
Calcified bilateral stylohyoid ligaments, which can be seen in the setting of the Eagle syndrome.
Prominent submandibular and level 2A lymph nodes, likely reactive.
FINDINGS:
Suprahyoid neck: No masses. Normal appearing parotid and submandibular glands. Calcified bilateral stylohyoid ligaments, which are in close proximity to predominantly venous vascular structures.
Larynx: No masses.
Infrahyoid: No masses.
Lymph nodes: Prominent submandibular and level 2A lymph nodes, largest measuring 1.1 cm in short axis (series 2, image 77). No pathologically enlarged (for patient age) or necrotic appearing lymph nodes.
Upper chest/mediastinum: Imaged portion unremarkable.
Also received the CD of the scan in the mail. Haven’t looked at it because my youngest puppy has been sick all evening.
Just wanted to share the results with you guys. Hope everyone is doing well.
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I’m so glad you have a definitive diagnosis, jeu0721. Now you can proceed w/ the next step & that is deciding if surgery is an option you want to consider.
I’m sorry your puppy has been sick. I remember when our dogs were puppies, one of them was like a vacuum cleaner eating anything in his path. He swallowed a bunch of small, unripe peaches from an ornamental peach tree in our yard & spent hours throwing up afterward. I guarantee I was more vigilant after that episode! I hope your puppy has recovered & is back to his/her bouncy puppy self.
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Thank you. I have my appointment one week from today. 
I’m hoping for a good appointment with answers and relief.
I’m not sure what she got a hold of. She’s still not feeling well this morning. She’s drinking water and has gone potty (which looked normal) but she’s still sick on her stomach. She doesn’t want to eat. I’ve been trying pumpkin but she’s not interested.
Good you’ve got confirmation with the scan, hope the appt is helpful!
Hope your pup improves soon too!
It’s always scary when our dogs are sick because they can’t tell us what’s going on. Drinking water will keep her hydrated which is most important. Our vet said to give our dogs cottage cheese & white rice when they had upset tummies. The trick is to get them to eat when they don’t feel well. I do hope she “turns” the corner soon. 
Thank you guys. I took her to the vet last Thursday as there was no improvement. She had gastroenteritis.
My appointment with Dr. Hackman went well. Unfortunately my scans wouldn’t load but we did talk about my symptoms, different scenarios and how I physically feel in each one. He’s going to review my scans and then have a phone appointment with me on March 31st. Still nothing for pain, dizziness or nausea but it is hard to diagnose me if you can’t see my scans. There has to be light at the end of this tunnel.
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I’m glad your appt w/ Dr. Hackman went well. Always disappointing when everything doesn’t go perfectly & having issues w/ the doctor not being able to see scans seems to be a somewhat common theme here. I’m glad he’s not making you go back for an in person appt. & I sure hope his scan review provides info that allows him to help you more proactively. You do have symptoms which make daily life a challenge.
I’m sorry about your puppy. I hope whatever treatment the vet advised has helped her feel better. 
It sounds like you are on the right path & starting to get some answers. That is good news! I hope they can give you something for pain, etc. while you wait to see if you will have surgery.
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A shame about the scans. Re having any treatment in the meantime, could you see your GP/ PCP for that, there are medications which could perhaps help with nerve pain, & dizziness.
Not too long to wait for your next appt, but will probably feel like ages for you- thinking of you…
Just wanted to give everyone an update. I spoke with Dr. Hackman today for my follow up phone consultation. He looked over my scans and both sides have calcified elongated styloid processes bilaterally. On the right the entire process and ligament is calcified to the hyoid bone, and on the left has near complete ossification as well.
We are going to move forward with surgery and we both agree that removing both sides is my best option with any hope to return to a normal life. I’m waiting for a call from his office to schedule the surgery. He will remove the right side first and in the same surgery remove the left unless there are complications.
Has anyone had both sides removed in the same surgery? I discussed with him what to expect after the surgery and plan to search the message boards here as well, but does anybody have any advice or experiences of the surgery and life after the surgery?
Hope everyone is doing well!