A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome

Semon Mengistu; Mengistu Feye

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11

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A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome

Semon Mengistu^*

, Mengistu Feye

Published in International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice (Volume 1, Issue 1)

Received: 8 August 2026 Accepted: 19 August 2026 Published: 22 September 2026

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Abstract

Elongation of the styloid process (ESP) was described by Pietro Marchetti in 1652 but it was not until 1937 that the clinical symptomatology of Eagle Syndrome (ES) was characterized by the otolaryngologist Watt Weems Eagle. The normal styloid process is defined as 2.5 to 3 cm although there are some reports of lengths up to 4 cm. Radiological ESP or calcified stylohyoid ligaments are relatively common but symptomatic ES remains rare and is often misdiagnosed with distinct perioperative challenges due to upper airway distortion which may make intubation difficult and vascular compression (stylocarotid syndrome) which may cause transient ischemic attack, stroke or dissection. Symptoms ranging from dysphagia and odynophagia to syncope and neurologic deficits require vigilance as demonstrated in our case of a 25-year-old male who presented with a 12-month history of intermittent analgesia for cervical pain and sensation of a foreign body in the pharynx, diagnosed with ESP and planned for styloidectomy at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. This case highlights the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to successful perioperative management, including strict preparation for difficult airways following current guidelines, continuous neurological and hemodynamic monitoring to identify cerebral ischemia, multimodal analgesia for neuropathic pain, and a smooth, controlled extubation to avoid vascular injury. Furthermore, a detailed preoperative evaluation of nutritional status, medication history, and anxiety is essential, enhancing patient safety and achieving optimal surgical results in this diagnostically complex condition.

Published in	International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice (Volume 1, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11
Page(s)	1-6
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Eagle Syndrome, Case Report, Perioperative, Management, Anesthesia

References

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APA Style

Mengistu, S., Feye, M. (2026). A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome. International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice, 1(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11

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ACS Style

Mengistu, S.; Feye, M. A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome. Int. J. Surg. Res. Pract. 2026, 1(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11

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AMA Style

Mengistu S, Feye M. A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome. Int J Surg Res Pract. 2026;1(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11,
  author = {Semon Mengistu and Mengistu Feye},
  title = {A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome},
  journal = {International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice},
  volume = {1},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-6},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsrp.20260101.11},
  abstract = {Elongation of the styloid process (ESP) was described by Pietro Marchetti in 1652 but it was not until 1937 that the clinical symptomatology of Eagle Syndrome (ES) was characterized by the otolaryngologist Watt Weems Eagle. The normal styloid process is defined as 2.5 to 3 cm although there are some reports of lengths up to 4 cm. Radiological ESP or calcified stylohyoid ligaments are relatively common but symptomatic ES remains rare and is often misdiagnosed with distinct perioperative challenges due to upper airway distortion which may make intubation difficult and vascular compression (stylocarotid syndrome) which may cause transient ischemic attack, stroke or dissection. Symptoms ranging from dysphagia and odynophagia to syncope and neurologic deficits require vigilance as demonstrated in our case of a 25-year-old male who presented with a 12-month history of intermittent analgesia for cervical pain and sensation of a foreign body in the pharynx, diagnosed with ESP and planned for styloidectomy at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. This case highlights the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to successful perioperative management, including strict preparation for difficult airways following current guidelines, continuous neurological and hemodynamic monitoring to identify cerebral ischemia, multimodal analgesia for neuropathic pain, and a smooth, controlled extubation to avoid vascular injury. Furthermore, a detailed preoperative evaluation of nutritional status, medication history, and anxiety is essential, enhancing patient safety and achieving optimal surgical results in this diagnostically complex condition.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome
AU  - Semon Mengistu
AU  - Mengistu Feye
Y1  - 2026/09/22
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11
T2  - International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice
JF  - International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice
JO  - International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice
SP  - 1
EP  - 6
PB  - Science Publishing Group
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11
AB  - Elongation of the styloid process (ESP) was described by Pietro Marchetti in 1652 but it was not until 1937 that the clinical symptomatology of Eagle Syndrome (ES) was characterized by the otolaryngologist Watt Weems Eagle. The normal styloid process is defined as 2.5 to 3 cm although there are some reports of lengths up to 4 cm. Radiological ESP or calcified stylohyoid ligaments are relatively common but symptomatic ES remains rare and is often misdiagnosed with distinct perioperative challenges due to upper airway distortion which may make intubation difficult and vascular compression (stylocarotid syndrome) which may cause transient ischemic attack, stroke or dissection. Symptoms ranging from dysphagia and odynophagia to syncope and neurologic deficits require vigilance as demonstrated in our case of a 25-year-old male who presented with a 12-month history of intermittent analgesia for cervical pain and sensation of a foreign body in the pharynx, diagnosed with ESP and planned for styloidectomy at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. This case highlights the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to successful perioperative management, including strict preparation for difficult airways following current guidelines, continuous neurological and hemodynamic monitoring to identify cerebral ischemia, multimodal analgesia for neuropathic pain, and a smooth, controlled extubation to avoid vascular injury. Furthermore, a detailed preoperative evaluation of nutritional status, medication history, and anxiety is essential, enhancing patient safety and achieving optimal surgical results in this diagnostically complex condition.
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Semon Mengistu

Department of Anesthesiology, Madda-Walabu University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Goba, Ethiopia

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0005-9471-3160
Mengistu Feye

Department of Anesthesiology, Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Science, Hawassa, Ethiopia

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0003-8740-7208

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APA Style

Mengistu, S., Feye, M. (2026). A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome. International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice, 1(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11

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ACS Style

Mengistu, S.; Feye, M. A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome. Int. J. Surg. Res. Pract. 2026, 1(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11

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AMA Style

Mengistu S, Feye M. A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome. Int J Surg Res Pract. 2026;1(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11,
  author = {Semon Mengistu and Mengistu Feye},
  title = {A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome},
  journal = {International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice},
  volume = {1},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-6},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsrp.20260101.11},
  abstract = {Elongation of the styloid process (ESP) was described by Pietro Marchetti in 1652 but it was not until 1937 that the clinical symptomatology of Eagle Syndrome (ES) was characterized by the otolaryngologist Watt Weems Eagle. The normal styloid process is defined as 2.5 to 3 cm although there are some reports of lengths up to 4 cm. Radiological ESP or calcified stylohyoid ligaments are relatively common but symptomatic ES remains rare and is often misdiagnosed with distinct perioperative challenges due to upper airway distortion which may make intubation difficult and vascular compression (stylocarotid syndrome) which may cause transient ischemic attack, stroke or dissection. Symptoms ranging from dysphagia and odynophagia to syncope and neurologic deficits require vigilance as demonstrated in our case of a 25-year-old male who presented with a 12-month history of intermittent analgesia for cervical pain and sensation of a foreign body in the pharynx, diagnosed with ESP and planned for styloidectomy at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. This case highlights the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to successful perioperative management, including strict preparation for difficult airways following current guidelines, continuous neurological and hemodynamic monitoring to identify cerebral ischemia, multimodal analgesia for neuropathic pain, and a smooth, controlled extubation to avoid vascular injury. Furthermore, a detailed preoperative evaluation of nutritional status, medication history, and anxiety is essential, enhancing patient safety and achieving optimal surgical results in this diagnostically complex condition.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Case Report of Anesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Eagle Syndrome
AU  - Semon Mengistu
AU  - Mengistu Feye
Y1  - 2026/09/22
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11
T2  - International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice
JF  - International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice
JO  - International Journal of Surgical Research and Practice
SP  - 1
EP  - 6
PB  - Science Publishing Group
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsrp.20260101.11
AB  - Elongation of the styloid process (ESP) was described by Pietro Marchetti in 1652 but it was not until 1937 that the clinical symptomatology of Eagle Syndrome (ES) was characterized by the otolaryngologist Watt Weems Eagle. The normal styloid process is defined as 2.5 to 3 cm although there are some reports of lengths up to 4 cm. Radiological ESP or calcified stylohyoid ligaments are relatively common but symptomatic ES remains rare and is often misdiagnosed with distinct perioperative challenges due to upper airway distortion which may make intubation difficult and vascular compression (stylocarotid syndrome) which may cause transient ischemic attack, stroke or dissection. Symptoms ranging from dysphagia and odynophagia to syncope and neurologic deficits require vigilance as demonstrated in our case of a 25-year-old male who presented with a 12-month history of intermittent analgesia for cervical pain and sensation of a foreign body in the pharynx, diagnosed with ESP and planned for styloidectomy at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. This case highlights the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to successful perioperative management, including strict preparation for difficult airways following current guidelines, continuous neurological and hemodynamic monitoring to identify cerebral ischemia, multimodal analgesia for neuropathic pain, and a smooth, controlled extubation to avoid vascular injury. Furthermore, a detailed preoperative evaluation of nutritional status, medication history, and anxiety is essential, enhancing patient safety and achieving optimal surgical results in this diagnostically complex condition.
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download