Eagle's Syndrome Presenting as Peripheral Facial Palsy

Abstract

Eagle's syndrome (ES) is the elongation of the ossified styloid process that causes symptoms such as foreign body sensation, neck pain, and odynophagia. A styloid process greater than 25 mm in length should be considered abnormal. Facial palsy is a condition that affects the facial nerve and results in weakness or total paralysis of the facial muscles that control expression. Here, we describe a rare presentation of ES presenting as facial palsy. We present the case of a 62-year-old female who was admitted to the emergency department with right peripheral facial palsy. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the neck confirmed the diagnosis. The patient underwent conservative management and physical therapy, which resulted in good evolution with an improvement of symptoms. She was referred to the otorhinolaryngologist for surgical evaluation.

Keywords: eagle syndrome; facial nerve; facial neuralgia; peripheral facial palsy; styloid process.