Carotodynia exposed: hyoid bone syndrome.

The hyoid bone syndrome, first described in 1954, is manifested by tenderness near the greater horn of the hyoid bone. In 1968, the syndrome was reported to be a form of insertion tendinosis, and injection of procaine HCl with corticosteroid at the tip of the greater horn was found to provide temporary relief of pain. I report 50 patients with the hyoid bone syndrome who had excision of the involved greater horn after one month of conservative medical treatment failed to relieve the pain. Operation promptly relieved pain in 45 (90%) of the patients. An understanding of the close relationship between the greater horn of the hyoid and the posterior pharynx and carotid sinus is important in detecting the hyoid bone syndrome.