Thanks everyone for the information. I don’t believe mine are calcified, they appear rather thick and round at the top and pointy at the end (from what I could see on the imaging - although of course, I am no doctor) I’m just trying to understand what is going on. I am frustrated that Dr’s here are not willing to look beyond the little they know about ES - putting the diagnosis all up to the length. Here’s hoping I get my new scan done soon.
It is worth remembering that CT scans are not “pictures” of anatomy but rather are reconstructions of anatomy based on parameters that have some error and are influenced by the properties of nearby structures. For this reason, you would not expect measurements on CT scans to align perfectly with what is seen on pathology. There are aspects of the image acquisition that can potentially either underestimate or overestimate the length of bones or degree of calcification.
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Hi @onelessstyloid - thanks, I realize it’s not 100% accurate; it does make it frustrating trying to get an accurate diagnosis when one doesn’t really know what they are looking for. My frustration is that my list of symptoms, which match many of the symptoms other members are describing on this forum, are being dismissed. Only the length seems to be the focus, keeping my fingers crossed for the new ENT and new scan soon. Thanks for your input, it’s greatly appreciated.
You have absolutely every right to be frustrated. I think that doctors who are relying on precise measurement on CT may be ignoring the limitations of this imaging technique as well as the scientific literature showing that styloid length alone is not a sufficient diagnostic criterion. So sorry you are having difficulty getting an accurate diagnosis. Hang in there!
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