Ossified stylohyoid ligaments

did Anybody have partially odddifued stylohyoid ligaments with normal lengths of styloid process? Can it cause deep ear pain, facial pain, neck, throat pain and pain in the area of TMJ along with neuralgia? I guess there are a lot of nerves running near stylohyoid ligaments and if the do get calcified they irritate these nerves. What do you think about the photo? I’m symptomatic on the right side.

Eagles syndrome is classed as either elongated styloid processes and/ or calcified stylo-hyoid ligaments which cause pain, so yes, you can have ES just from calcified ligaments.
We’re not doctors here, so can’t give you a medical opinion, you’d need to talk to your own doctor about the results… I can’t see any calcification of the ligaments TBH, but like I say, we’re not doctors… on the right side, the styloid process looks quite pointy & at quite an angle, so that in itself could cause problems (even if it’s ‘average’ length), as it could be irritated nerves.
All the symptoms you mention can be caused by ES.
Have you seen a doctor about the scan results?

I’m waiting to talk to the doctor. Dr. Samji turned me down initially. No it’s round 2 for me. Initially I was diagnosed with hyoid bone syndrome and my ent took the lateral part(great horn) of the hyoid bone out. It didn’t help. I went to TMJ specialist and she ordered the TMJ survey X-ray the report came out with findings of partially ossified stylohyoid ligaments. The right one does seem very pointy to me and this is my symptomatic side. I’m attaching one more photo hoping to hear feedback from people.

Bella, for what it’s worth, my situation is similar to yours. I have very similar symptoms to yours (on my left side), except I also have severe pain on the left side of my tongue. In effect I have what seems a combination of glossopharyngeal nerve pain, plus (more mildly) trigeminal nerve pain. A CT scan of my neck showed calcification, but not elongation. No doctor in Toronto seems to know much about Eagle’s Syndrome, and in fact most have never heard of it. I’m keeping an eye on your thread since I’m curious about what you’ll hear. I hope you find relief soon!

Canada, do you have pain in your ear and in TMJ area? I’m posting this photo with partial ossification.

the ossification of the ligament was not continuous, it happened at few different places along the way - a small segment superiorly at the styloid process region, a small part in the middle of the ligament and a tiny part inferiorly at the hyoid region

Bella, yes, I do have deep ear pain, as well as occasional pain in the TMJ area, all on the left side. (So, in order of severity, starting with the worst: tongue, throat, ear, upper palate, upper molars, and then “inside the cheek” along lower jaw, middle of cheek, and sometimes back of the eye.) Unfortunately I can’t compare my bone growths to yours I don’t have my CT images. I’m going to see if I can find any doctor who can set up a 3D scan, but again, these doctors in Toronto (Canada) don’t seem to know what Eagle’s is about. I was simply told (after deliberately asking the ENT to check) that there’s calcification but the bone is not elongated. Again, the ENT had no idea that calcification would have any effect on the nerves, and any other specialist I talked with had zero clue what Eagle’s meant. Still looking for anyone in this country (Canada) who has the first clue about it!

In the meantime, some meds are helping, particularly clonazepam.

Have you looked at the ES Doctors’ List for a doctor in Canada who has done ES surgery? Here’s the link:

https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/latest-doctor-list/720

I was NEVER on any kind of pain meds or other meds these doctors put you on when they are on a “rabbit” trail! Been there, done that! If you can, go to a University Hospital and forget the different hospital systems like, Integris, Mercy, and all of the other private hospitals that are for profit. One thing I know…I went to so many doctors and I was struggling financially…because they did not know what was wrong with me! I moved from Houston, TX. to OKC and Mercy was where all of my doctors were at. I could not get them to refer me to OU, which is a teaching hospital. I was so miserable with pain and despair and I was literally dying inside…I finally called my gynecologist and crying and pleading to please refer me to OU. He never really knew how much pain I was under. He referred me to the Otorhinolaryngology Clinic at OU Physicians and it took about 3 months to finally diagnose me with ES by doctor Greg Krempl MD. after being told for 17 yrs. that I was depressed, I needed to get my teeth cleaned, they didn’t know what it was…TMJ maybe??? Technology had advanced so much in 17 yrs. so, I was on my way to being healed…Dr. Kremple diagnosed me but, I had a different doc do the surgery at Norman Regional Hospital in Norman, OK. Dr. R. Layton Runkle, He was on staff as a doctor who teaches doctors so, I was in good hands. He did the surgery and removed my tonsils to cut out the elongated styloid on both sides. I moved to Amarillo, TX. back in 2008 but, when I moved back to Oklahoma, in June of 2015, I actually went to Norman Regional Hospital to get my records of what Dr. Runkle had done. I was surprised because, I never had read the medical report. Let me tell you, after 17 yrs. of this ES “demon”, I did not want to even think about all the hell I went through!!! I hope that those of you who are still miserable and just at the end of your rope, do and go wherever you have to. I moved to OKC after living in Houston for 37 yrs. They have one of the largest medical center in the world. Saudi Kings and queens, foreign diplomats and very wealthy people go there to be treated and diagnosed and hospitals like, Baylor, St. Luke’s, Ben Taub (#1 for trauma like gunshot wounds) M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital and world renown doctors like Dr. Michael Debakey, Dr. Denton Cooley…They were all there but, no one in Houston could diagnose me. I moved to OKC. You might not be able to move but, you can catch a flight to OKC. Pursue your healing.

You're still looking too Canada? I'm in Alberta and am trying to be patient! I was passed on by the ENT who didn't even see me.. he just said this wasn't in his scope of work and passsed me to a skull based surgeon. I am awaiting my appt. I hope he knows about this!!

A skull based surgeon or otolaryngologist is a really good bet, Diasy, as they’re used to working in that area of the styloid processes, so can often remove them higher up than an ENT who does an intra-oral surgery. Good luck!

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Woohoo…just got a call from OU Health Sciences Center to move my appt up from Sept. 11th to August 21st! How about that…progress on a Monday!

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AWESOME NEWS!! Thank you for sharing!!

Praise Yah!!! This is so wonderful to know…I can hardly wait to see what Dr. Krempl will say and do. You are on the right track. When do you have the other appt. with that other physician from Integris??? I am not too crazy with Integris because they are purely for profit. Let me know by email what develops.

Canada 2018, Do your homework and educate these doctors!!! Print what you learn on the internet about ES. Take it to the doctor and educate him…They don’t know everything. They can be “fired”. Press in…if that ENT doesn’t even know what you are talking about and he/she thinks they know more than you, move on!

Look for an Otorhinolaryngology physician through a University Hospital System. They are the ones who have to research ability and there lies in the money. They keep up with the latest technology. Hope you can do that.

Afternoon Hadassa!

I don’t have my appt set up yet with Dr. Baranano…waiting for them to call. Don’t be mislead by the OU Health Sciences Center. They are funded by others and must take patients with no insurance or other means of paying. That leaves the rest of us to make up the difference. They are definitely about raking that money in or they would not be able to continue operating. I also want to have a back-up in case something doesn’t go well. As in…Dr. Krempl may not want to do extra-oral or have experience with it and that is the only way I will do it. I will keep everyone up on my progress and the various tests that may be ordered.

kiZe6159 -
You can send private emails to Hadassa by clicking on her screen name (it appears at the top of her posts). A window will pop-up which has a blue rectangular Message box in the upper right corner. If you click on that, it will open a window that allows you to send her a private email. You will both have greater freedom to communicate that way. Then you can post more general conversations on the forum itself.

I hope this is helpful for you.

:blush:

Thank you…I realized that yesterday as I was exploring the site!