Hi guys,
So those few months i’ve visit few doctors, and all of them think that this is not a lymph nodes.
Last two doctors (ENT and Face and Jaw surgeon) told me immediately after touching them, that this is styloid process. I had a new 3D which showed that my left one is 3.5cm and the right one (which can be felt easier and you can say is bigger) is 2.8cm. The Face and jaw surgeon told me that i have ES, but as far i can find info in internet, i have it only on the left side because it’s bigger than 3cm, but he is confident that i need to take care of both of them.
So i’ve few questions:
Do you think that is possible to fill them if they’re not so big than the most of the people here?
Can they grow in thickness and not so much in length and that is why i feel them, because on the 3D they have made a screenshot of them with the measurements, and they dont look thick, but when i open it, i can see them very thick at the base (i will try to post a picture of them, but i don’t have the screenshot which the radiologist made at the moment)?
Should i consider a surgery for them (not urgent one)?
Also as in my last post i have mentioned that i’m going to see a doctor for my C6/C7 disc protrusion, but he said that is not a big deal at all, and we’re not going to do anything about it, except to monitor it every 2-3 years.
This is my right side
@Ross - Your styloids are very thick at the base, & both styloids look to be almost “forked” or like a lobster claw. I think it’s likely due to the thickness that you can feel the left one & possibly due to the angle it’s growing. I could feel my left styloid under my jaw, but I couldn’t feel my right one. The left styloid was growing at an angle toward my cervical spine, but my right side was growing more straight down. It’s hard to tell the angle your styloids are growing from the pictures you posted, but they are great pictures of your styloids.
Just a reminder that styloids don’t have to be long to cause symptoms. If they are very thick, curved, twisted, or pointed, even normal length styloids can cause pain.
I agree with your doctor that getting both of your styloids removed would probably give you the best symptoms relief, BUT, if only the left side is really bothering you, get that one done first & see how you feel after 3-4 mos. If the right side starts causing problems during or after your recovery, then consider having it removed. We do not recommend removing a styloid that is long but not causing any symptoms.
I’ve annotated your images to help you understand what I see:
Hi @Isaiah_40_31,
Thank you for your comment!
Just to mention that for me it’s the opposite - i can feel my right styloid more than the left one. I don’t feel them under the jaw, but just under the ear and behind the jaw. The right one is just under the skin and it’s very easy to feel it, but to feel the left one, you should push more with your fingers.
So in this case i don’t know with which one i should start first. Probably with the right one, because it’s not long enough but i have more symptoms because of it (mostly pain and stiffness), and then to think about the left one, which is longer but almost without symptoms.
Thank you for the correction. I wasn’t sure I wrote correctly & now see I got the sides mixed up.
Yes - get the right side done first if it’s causing more pain even if it’s shorter. My left side caused more pain (it was longer) but my surgeon insisted on removing the right first because of the angle it was growing. I didn’t get good recovery until the left one was finally removed 9 mos. later.
