An intraoral surgical approach to the styloid process in Eagle's syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to present an alternative method to the extraoral surgical approach to remove the elongated styloid process, the intraoral surgical approach, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. A literature review is also presented.


METHODS
A casuistic of intraoral surgical approach to remove the elongated styloid process is presented in five patients.


RESULTS
Four patients experienced postoperative moderate pain and trismus for 1 week. Bilateral surgery in one patient caused severe trismus, great discomfort, and moderate difficulty in breathing. All were followed up for 6 months and showed complete relief of the oral pharyngeal symptoms and complete improvement in functional ability.


CONCLUSIONS
The advantages of the external approach are good visualization and reduced possibility of deep neck space infection. The disadvantages are an external scar, longer duration of surgery, and risk of injury to the facial nerve. The advantages of the intraoral approach are that the method is safe, simple, and less time consuming and an external scar is avoided. The disadvantages are possible infection of deep neck spaces, risk of injury to major vessels, and poor visualization.


CONCLUSIONS
Intraoral resection of the styloid process is a safe treatment technique of Eagle's syndrome. It is not recommended the bilateral intervention at the same surgery, because of possible great discomfort at postoperative time.
Chrcanovic
Bruno Ramos
BR
brunochrcanovic@hotmail.com
Custódio
Antônio Luís Neto
AL
de Oliveira
Davidson Rodarte Felix
DR
D002114:Calcinosis / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D006928:Hyoid Bone; D008022:Ligaments / Q000601:surgery*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D013577:Syndrome; D013701:Temporal Bone; D014313:Trismus / Q000209:etiology