title: Carotid artery dissection due to elongated styloid process: a self-stabbing phenomenon.
abstract: Elongated styloid process (ESP) is an anatomical variant that has been described as the cause of Eagle syndrome. Until recently, the styloid process has not been appreciated as a significant contributor to carotid artery dissection (CAD), which is not part of Eagle syndrome. We present a case of a 41-year-old male who presented with acute right middle cerebral artery occlusion and was found to have ESP projecting to and abutting the lateral wall of a dissected right internal carotid artery (ICA). Forced sustained head turning with maximal muscle contraction was the initiating event driving the styloid process into the wall of the ICA in a manner that can be likened to being stabbed with a pointed object. Knowing the association between ESP, Eagle syndrome, and CAD shall lead to increased awareness and appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cerebrovascular disease, Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
authors.forename: Anmar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Razak
authors.forename: Jody L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Short
authors.forename: Syed I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Hussain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020215:Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome