RADIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF STYLOID PROCESS LENGTH AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATIONS USING MULTIDETECTOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND THEIR CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
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Keywords
Styloid process, Elongation, Eagle’s syndrome, Multidetector CT, Morphological variations
Abstract
The styloid process (SP) is a slender bony projection of the temporal bone, whose elongation can lead to Eagle’s syndrome. Knowledge of SP length and morphological variations is essential for accurate diagnosis and surgical planning.
Objective: To evaluate the length and morphological variations of the styloid process using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and assess their clinical significance.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 289 patients (156 males, 133 females) aged 10–85 years who underwent head and paranasal sinus CT scans at Department of Radiology, Maa Vindhyavasini Autonomous State Medical College Mirzapur Uttar Pradesh associated with the department of Anatomy from March 2024 to February 2025. SP length was measured bilaterally, and the prevalence of elongation (>3 cm) was recorded. Patients with fractures or incomplete visualization of SP were excluded.
Results: The mean SP length was 3.10 ± 0.50 cm on the right and 3.30 ± 0.61 cm on the left. Elongated SP (>3 cm) was observed in 40.1% of patients, with slightly higher prevalence on the left side. Gender-wise, elongation was seen in 23.7% of males and 21.8% of females. Most patients had a normal SP, and differences between genders were minimal.
Conclusion: Styloid process elongation is a common anatomical variation, slightly more prevalent in males, with the left SP generally longer than the right. Awareness of SP length and variations is crucial for the clinical and radiological evaluation of head and neck complaints, particularly in diagnosing Eagle’s syndrome.
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Dr. Ishwar Prashad
(Senior Resident) Department of Anatomy, Maa Vindhyavasini Autonomous State Medical College Mirzapur Uttar Pradesh.
Dr. Sonam Verma
(Junior Resident) Department of Anatomy, Rajkiya medical College, Jalaun (Orai) Uttar Pradesh
Dr. Puspendra Kumar Singh
(Associate Professor) Department of Radiodiagnosis, Government Medical College, Azamgarh.