Postoperative Relief and Complications in Eagle’s Syndrome: A Retrospective Analysis

Introduction:
Eagle’s Syndrome (ES) is a rare clinical condition characterized by
symptomatic elongation of the styloid process or calcification of the
stylohyoid ligament.
Objective:
The objective of the study was to evaluate postoperative symptom relief
and complication rates following styloidectomy in patients with
radiologically confirmed Eagle’s Syndrome.
Methods:
A retrospective review was conducted on 90 patients diagnosed with ES
and treated surgically at a tertiary center in Bangladesh. Demographic
data, symptom profiles, surgical approaches, and postoperative
outcomes were analyzed. Symptom relief was assessed using the visual
analog scale (VAS), and complications were recorded. Correlation
between symptom duration and postoperative improvement was
calculated.
Results:
Most patients were female (60%) and aged 46–60 years (40%). Throat
pain (80%) and dysphagia (53.3%) were the predominant presenting
symptoms. Intraoral styloidectomy was performed in 66.7% of cases.
Complete relief was observed in 83.3% for throat pain, 80% for otalgia,
and 72.9% for dysphagia. Complications were low (18.9%), with
transient dysphagia (6.7%) and wound infection (5.6%) being most
common. A significant correlation was found between shorter symptom
duration and greater relief (r=0.9999, p=0.0107).
Conclusion:
Surgical management of Eagle’s Syndrome yielded high symptom
resolution and minimal complications, particularly when intervention
was timely. Early diagnosis was crucial for optimal outcomes.