hi! New here. This CBCT suggested Eagle syndrome. I snipped part of the report and requested these images. Is there any useful info anyone can give me from these? Not sure what the atlas and C2 part mean? Also by looking at the images, is there any helpful info to gain?? I feel so overwhelmed. I also have vascular issues but I’m not sure the CBCT scan that I have is helpful in that. I do not have dicom files, just the program viewer and I have no idea what I am looking at or how to use that lol I should add, ALL of my symptoms are right side only.
Hi @Kmb - Welcome to our forum, & I’m sorry the app link was giving you grief yesterday. I appreciate that you kept trying until you succeeded getting your application submitted. I’m glad you’re here.
A CT scan (with contrast if you’re looking to see about vascular compression) is the Gold Standard diagnostic tool for ES. Though a CBCT is not ideal for diagnosing ES, it can be helpful. Yours shows both styloids are elongated, quite pointed & angled inward - right more than left which could explain why the right side is more symptomatic even though it’s shorter (4.1cm as opposed to 4.6 cm for the left). ES symptoms don’t always make sense in that it’s often the physical features of a styloid (thickness, angle of growth, how twisted or pointed they are) that cause problems more than length. Also, symptoms that are predominantly one-sided, can still be caused by both styloids We’ve also learned that once one styloid is removed, the symptoms caused by the other one may become more obvious & often more pronounced.
Re: the atlas - that is the name given to the C1 vertebra (the top vertebra in your neck) because it “holds” the skull up on top of the neck (from the Greek god Atlas who was believed to hold up the pillars that separated heaven & earth). The C2 vertebra is called the axis because it is the vertebra that allows skull movement. The dens/odontoid process is part of the C2 vertebra; it’s a small “knob” of bone that fits into a socket on the C1 vertebra which allows C1 to pivot on C2 thus allowing head movement in many directions.
The small high density area mentioned is below (inferior) to the anterior arch of C1
but above the dens of C2 thus basically it’s in between your C1 & C2 vertbebrae, but I can’t comment on it because I don’t know the significance of it just as the radiologist didn’t know.
The first image below is a view of the C1 (atlas) vertebra as you look down on it from the top. Instead of showing an empty space, the artist drew the image w/ the dens from C2 in place. The second image is C2 so you can see the dens that inserts into the socket in C2.
The video below explains the orientation & function of C1 & C2 pretty well. There is further info in the video which is likely not relevant to your situation.
Here are links to two posts that will help you understand ES symptoms better:
They’re certainly longer than average styloid processes, and as @Isaiah_40_31 says, quite angled which could cause symptoms…I don’t know about the area the radiologist has commented on either, so can’t help you with that, sorry
