Objectives: To appreciate the value of a simple radiographic incidence and its effectiveness for the search and the measurement of elongated styloid apophysis (ESA) and to recommend it in the routine search of ESA in practice.
Patients and method: This prospective study was realized over a period of 3 years. It involved the study of ESA from conventional radiographic imaging; the face low incidence in comparison with an experimental incidence, the oblique profile chin lift (OPCL). 101 patients presenting with stylalgia were investigated.
Results: Out of the 101 patients, the low face cliché found 49 ESA having an average length of 5 cm. The OPCL allowed to identify 63 ESA, 54 of which were bilateral and 9 unilateral. It also helped identify other associated abnormalities: otitis media (5 cases), dental pathologies (4 cases), dental condensing osteitis (2 cases). The comparative analysis demonstrated a better efficiency of the OPCL in comparison to the standard incidence: the LOW FACE (Roc curve). The OPCL allowed the exposure in one incidence the styloid process and to better appreciate the lower and superior borders of the styloid process giving a better estimate of its measurements.
Conclusion: It appears from this study that the experimental incidence, the OPCL presents a real interest in the investigation of the ESA but also in the study of the soft tissues of the pharynx, the cervical spine, and the temporo-mastoid region. It also allows the detection of other.