title: Is there a relationship between symptoms of patients and tomographic characteristics of styloid process?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the angulations and length of the styloid process (SP) on three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) images between the patients having elongated SP complaints and those without any stylalgia symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients underwent 3D-CT evaluation of the bilateral temporomandibular joints to investigate for symptomatic elongated styloid process (ESP) at our institution. The differences between the mean angulations and lengths of the SP and comparisons between patient and control groups were analyzed by student t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In study group, mean length of styloid processes was 40.7 ± 10.8 mm on the right and 40.3 ± 10.9 mm on the left. Mean medial angles of SP were measured as 22.60 ± 4.0 on the right side and 22.60 ± 4.5 on the left side. In the same group, mean anterior angles of SP were 16.10 ± 6.9 on the right and 16.70 ± 7.1 on the left side. The "in-group" comparisons of lengths, medial and anterior angles did not produce statistically significant results. The comparison of medial angulations between the symptomatic and asymptomatic patients was the only statistically meaningful result in our study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D-CT has several advantages according to conventional tomography for visualization of head and neck anatomy. The increase of medial angulation of SP may be responsible for the development of complaints in ESP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Bozok University Medical Faculty, 66200, Yozgat, Turkey, draylinokur@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okur
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozkırış
authors.forename: Halil Ibrahim
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Serin
authors.forename: Zeliha Kapusuz
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Gencer
authors.forename: Seyhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karaçavuş
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: Mecit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kantarcı
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saydam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*