Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Management, Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital, Galdakao, Spain.
Pain Pract. 2013 Jun;13(5):399-404. doi: 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2012.00592.x. Epub 2012 Oct 12.
Eagle (Arch Otolaryngol. 1937;25:584 and Arch Otolaryngol. 1949;49:490) first identified elongation of the styloid process and ossification of the stylohyoid ligament as a cause of orofacial pain. The elongated styloid process presses on the internal carotid artery and adjacent structures, including branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve and this produce orofacial pain. Some authors define an elongated styloid process as longer than 4 cm because this length is associated with an increase in the incidence of Eagle's syndrome. The syndrome is diagnosed by exclusion (Walkman SD. Atlas of Uncommon Pain Syndromes. Philadelphia: Elsevier Science; 2003), and the diagnosis is confirmed by radiological studies and computed tomography. Treatment can be divided into medical, interventional, and surgical techniques. We report a patient with symptoms of glossopharyngeal neuralgia, who was diagnosed with Eagle's syndrome on the basis of diagnostic imaging. The length of the stylohyoid process was 63 mm on the left side and 64 mm on the right. Treatment was performed by applying pulsed radiofrequency to the glossopharyngeal nerve with satisfactory results. The technique was performed twice on an outpatient basis, produced no complications or side effects, and proved effective in the short and medium term in decreasing the intensity of pain.
Eagle（《耳鼻喉科学档案》1937 年；25：584 及《耳鼻喉科学档案》1949 年；49：490）首次确定了茎突过长和茎突舌骨韧带骨化是引起面口疼痛的原因。过长的茎突压迫颈内动脉和邻近结构，包括舌咽神经的分支，这会导致面口疼痛。一些作者将长于 4cm 的茎突定义为过长，因为这个长度与鹰综合征发生率的增加有关。该综合征通过排除法（Walkman SD. Atlas of Uncommon Pain Syndromes. Philadelphia: Elsevier Science; 2003）进行诊断，诊断通过影像学研究和计算机断层扫描确认。治疗可分为药物、介入和手术技术。我们报告了一名患有舌咽神经痛症状的患者，该患者根据诊断影像学被诊断为鹰综合征。左侧茎突舌骨韧带长 63mm，右侧长 64mm。采用射频脉冲治疗舌咽神经，疗效满意。该技术在门诊进行了两次，无并发症或副作用，并且在短期和中期内有效降低了疼痛强度。
