@TMC411 - Welcome to our forum! Unfortunately, the image you’ve posted doesn’t have a good view of your styloids. Do you have any others?
You can convert your CTV & CTA into 3D images using radiantviewer.com (for PCs) or Bee Dicom Viewer App (for Macs). Doing so would both help you & us to better see what’s going on in your neck.
Thank you- I will attempt to do that(although I am not very tech/computer savvy~)
I uploaded some images- not sure if I am doing it correctly or not. If you need more imaging let me know. Currently my doctor does not think there is anything wrong other than a pulled muscle- he wants to do dry needling….. I had a previous fusion c6-7 in 2012. Had a whiplash like injury(snowboarding fell backward hit back of head) early February. Pain in posterior neck and throat, ear on left side,headaches, mental fog, and JVD fullness(especially when bending over which increases the pain). I also wear a helmet for work(aviation industry) with Night vision goggles- so have approx 5-7 lbs of weight on for average of 3-8 hours a week.
I am still newer and other members are much more experienced in anatomy but I can see your styloids in the images you uploaded. So sorry your doctor is dismissing your symptoms.
I uploaded some images- not sure if I am doing it correctly or not. If you need more imaging let me know. Currently my doctor does not think there is anything wrong other than a pulled muscle- he wants to do dry needling….. I had a previous fusion c6-7 in 2012. Had a whiplash like injury(snowboarding fell backward hit back of head) early February. Pain in posterior neck and throat, ear pain on right side,headaches, mental fog, and JVD fullness(especially when bending over which increases the pain). I also wear a helmet for work(aviation industry) with Night vision goggles- so have approx 5-7 lbs of weight on for average of 3-8 hours a week.
@TMC411 - You did a great job converting your images to 3D! Much easier to see your styloids & other significant structures now. I’m sorry your doctor is dismissing your symptoms.
Your styloids aren’t super long, but your stylohyoid ligaments have calcified from the tips of your styloids making them elongated. You have internal jugular vein compression at least on the right side & possibly on the left though your left IJV is barely visible. Your right IJV is definitely dominant. The headaches, mental fog, feeling of vein pressure when you bend over are all symptoms of IJV compression. Wearing a helmet for work is likely exacerbating those symptoms as it puts more weight on your head/neck.
We have several doctors on our Doctors List who do styloidectomies & IJV decompressions. The closest to you is Dr. Hepworth but he’s not taking new patients until sometime in May. Dr. Nakaji is another. There are also a couple of doctors further east.
•Dr. Edward Hepworth, Denver Sinus Care, 3150 E 3rd Ave, Denver, CO 80206 (720) 899-9489, FAX (720) 953-5151, email: info@denversinuscare.com or for initial consults - kcurry@denversinuscare.com
•Dr. Peter Nakaji, https://www.scottsdaleclinic.com
Scottsdale Neurosurgery Specialists - 602-313-7772
Thank you very much! I will let you know how it goes! Thank you and the others who make this easier to navigate. I am in the healthcare field(flight nurse) and can navigate most of my issues and concerns, but this one is one no one wants to look at- or are even aware of!
I’m sorry you’re getting the run around especially since you’re in the medical field. Sadly we’ve had a number of nurses on our forum over time & even a few doctors who suffered the same fate. One would think medical associates would take an interest in one of their staff members who has odd/debilitating symptoms but it seems their focus is elsewhere. 