A Novel Approach with Spinal Cord Stimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Pain in Eagle’s Syndrome: A Case Report

Abstract

Eagle’s syndrome is a rare condition characterized by foreign body sensation in the throat, cervical pain, and dysphagia. It is commonly due to a pathological longer styloid process or ossification of the stylohyoid ligament. There are two classical therapeutic approaches: a conservative management, with a combination of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), anticonvulsants and antidepressants along with local injections of local anaesthetics/corticosteroids, or a surgical treatment i.e. the removal of the styloid process and stylohyoid ligament. We reported the case of a 52-years old woman presented with pain localized at the right side of the neck, back of the throat, tonsillar fossa, base of the tongue, soft palate and inferior part of the occipital bone together with sensation of foreign body in the throat. These symptoms started at the age of 29 after drinking some water with a pain intensity evaluated by numeric rating scale (NRS) of 10. Both pharmacological and surgical treatment didn’t produce substantial relief. In 2017 the patient came to our attention and a 10KHz Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) was positioned between C2 and C7 with a significant pain relief (NRS4) and a complete relief from foreign body sensation in the throat. This is, to our knowledge, the first case of Eagle’s syndrome treated with SCS. This case is here reported along with a short review of Eagle’s syndrome and a description of mechanisms and potential applications of SCS. DOI: 10.29011/2576-957X/100012