Stylalgia: A Missed Diagnosis.
To study the occurrence of stylalgia in patients presenting with pain in the head and neck region and appropriate management options. This was a hospital-based study. This study analyzed prospectively patients who presented to the otolaryngology outpatient department with complaints of throat pain, globus, neck pain, facial pain, odynophagia, throat pain associated with earache, and neuralgic pain, and were diagnosed with stylalgia and managed with styloidectomy or subjected to medical treatment. Out of 20 patients (4 males and 16 females), 14 patients became symptom-free, while 6 patients experienced relief of symptoms. There was no worsening of symptoms in any of the patients. The incidence of Stylalgia is higher in a female population. Elective management of patients after assessing the response to treatment, and then offering surgical management is of value for adequate patient care, prevention of unnecessarily delayed diagnosis and appropriate treatment.