Dr. Katz, iHATEheadaches Blog

Everyone once and a while you come across a condition or an anatomical
oddity you learned about years ago but thought you would never see in the everyday population you treat.

Such was the case the other day. I had my hygienist take a panorex x-ray, an x-ray that shows the skeletal structures of the entire mouth, jaws and sinuses, for a new patient in our office. The individual had no symptoms at all. No neck pain, facial pain or headaches. But when I looked closely at the panorex, I saw an unusual sight. The Styloid process, a small bone
on the back of the head, adjacent to the ear lobe running down the side of the neck and which is usually about3/4 of an inch long was about three or more inches long in this case.

I asked again if he had any unusual symptoms like throat pain or facial pain but the patient said that he felt perfectly fine. I showed him the x-ray and told him how amazed I was that he felt perfectly fine. There appeared to be no other pathology. I explained to him that the extended bone might at some point cause him headaches, pain when turning his head, loss of appetite, or even a change in his voice.

I told him that a combination of symptoms such as those could be classified as Eagle Syndrome. I also told him that he was fortunate that he looked well and felt well but be aware that if he began experiencing any symptoms I described, he would be wise to see me so I could refer him to an ear nose and throat specialist.

The causes of headaches, head pain, neck and facial pain are varied. Sometimes a simple dental x-ray and a keen diagnostic eye can make the difference between years of suffering or a very quick and simple remedy.