Cervicobrachialgia in a female in her fourth decade of life: Have Eagle's syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome been considered?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23938/ASSN.1146

Keywords:

Eagle´s Syndrome, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Ankle-Brachial Index, Cervicalgia, Paresthesia

Abstract

Cervicobrachialgia is a common reason for consultation among women in the fourth and fifth decades of life. However, the diagnostic approach is often incomplete, leading to delays in both diagnosis and treatment. We report the case of a 44-year-old woman presenting with left craniocervical pain of several years´ duration, radiating to the left arm and the pectoral and dorsal regions, accompanied by paresthesia. Physical examination revealed findings compatible with Eagle's syndrome (tonsillar fossa) and thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) (positive Adson, Wright, and Roos tests). Assessment using the ankle-brachial index demonstrated vascular involvement, suggesting a potential new diagnostic approach for TOS. Cranial radiographs showed hyperdevelopment of both mastoid processes, while orthopantomography demonstrated elongation (>5 cm) of the left styloid process, which was confirmed by computed tomography that also revealed a duplicated C3 rib with supraclavicular course, confirming the coexistence of Eagle's syndrome and TOS - an uncommon association in clinical practice.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Vicente Martín Moreno, Servicio Madrileño de Salud. Centro de Salud de Orcasitas. Madrid, España

General Practitioner

Servicio Madrileño de Salud. Centro de Salud de Orcasitas. Madrid, España            https://ror.org/023cbtv31

Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12). Madrid, España            https://ror.org/002x1sg85

Amanda Martín Fernández, Polibea Concierto SL. Madrid, España

Fisioterapeuta y DUE

Polibea Concierto SL. Madrid, España

Jorge Hurtado Gallar, Servicio Madrileño de Salud. Centro de Salud de Orcasitas. Madrid, España

General Practitioner

Servicio Madrileño de Salud. Centro de Salud de Orcasitas. Madrid, España            https://ror.org/023cbtv31

Cristina Angulo García, Servicio Madrileño de Salud. Centro de Salud de Orcasitas. Madrid, España

General Practitioner

Servicio Madrileño de Salud. Centro de Salud de Orcasitas. Madrid, España          https://ror.org/023cbtv31

Marina Pérez Blanco, Servicio Madrileño de Salud. Centro de Salud de Orcasitas. Madrid, España 

Nurse

Servicio Madrileño de Salud. Centro de Salud de Orcasitas. Madrid, España            https://ror.org/023cbtv31

References

1.- Dueñas M, De Sola H, Salazar A, Esquivia A, Rubio S, Failde I. Prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of chronic pain in the Spanish population. Results from the pain barometer. Eur J Pain 2025; 29(1): e4705. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.4705

2.- Assiri Ahmed H, Estrugo-Devesa A, Roselló Llabrés X, Egido-Moreno S, López-López J. The prevalence of elongated styloid process in the population of Barcelona: A cross-sectional study & review of literature. BMC Oral Health 2023; 23(1): 674. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-023-03405-0

3.- Aydin E, Quliyev H, Cinar C, Bozkaya H, Oran I. Eagle syndrome presenting with neurological symptoms. Turk Neurosurg 2018; 28(2): 219-225. https://doi.org/10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.17905-16.6

4.- Paraskevas G, Poutoglidis A, Lazaridis N, Asouhidou I, Chrysanthou C, Apostolidou E et al. Does the orientation of the styloid process cause Eagle Syndrome? An anatomical study of the styloid process in 72 Greek skulls. Otolaryngol Pol 2022 ;76(4): 12-16. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0015.8627

5.- Mantovani G, Zangrossi P, Flacco ME, Di Domenico G, Nastro Siniscalchi E, De Ponte FS et al. Styloid jugular nutcracker: The possible role of the styloid process spatial orientation - A preliminary morphometric computed study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13(2): 298. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13020298

6.-Wagner FM. [Somatic dysfunction of the cervical spine and its complex clinical picture: The fundamentals of diagnostics of cervicobrachialgia and cervicocephalic syndrome through manual medicine]. Orthopade 2022; 51(4): 263-273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00132-022-04228-7

7.- Cralle LE, Harris LM, Lum YW, Deery SE, Humphries MD. Thoracic outlet syndrome in females: A systematic review. Semin Vasc Surg 2023; 36(4): 487-491. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semvascsurg.2023.09.003

8.- Masocatto NO, Da-Matta T, Prozzo TG, Couto WJ, Porfirio G. Thoracic outlet syndrome: A narrative review. Rev Col Bras Cir 2019; 46(5): e20192243. https://doi.org/1590/0100-6991e-20192243

9.- Triantafyllou G, Paschopoulos I, Duparc F, Tsakotos G, Papadopoulos-Manolarakis P, Piagkou M. The anatomy of the stylohyoid chain: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2025; 15(7): 925. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15070925

10.- Dudde F, Bergmann W, Schuck O, Schunk J, Barbarewicz F. Accuracy in the diagnostics of styloid process - panoramic radiograph vs computed tomography: A comparative study. In Vivo 2024; 38(3): 1390-1396. https://doi.org/10.21873/invivo.13580

11.- Cavanna AC, Giovanis A, Daley A, Feminella R, Chipman R, Onyeukwu V. Thoracic outlet syndrome: A review for the primary care provider. J Osteopath Med 2022; 122(11): 587-599. https://doi.org/10.1515/jom-2021-0276

12.- Kiang S, Boggs HK, Tomihama R. Thoracic outlet syndromes. In: Murga A., Teruya TH, Abou-Zamzam Jr AM, Bianchi C (eds). The vascular surgery in-training examination review (VSITE). Springer, 2023; 157-172. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24121-5_10

13.- Illig KA, Donahue D, Duncan A, Freischlag J, Gelabert H, Johansen K et al. Reporting standards of the Society for Vascular Surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. J Vasc Surg 2016; 64(3): e23-e35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2016.04.039

14.- Nadim B, Alizada S, Gupta S, Steigner ML, Menard MT, Aghayev A. Under pressure: A head-to-toe review of vascular compression syndromes. Clin Radiol 2024; 79(10): 722-735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crad.2024.07.006

15.- Frugone-Zambra R, Berzaghi A, Gómez-Álvarez J, Bianchi A, Bortolini S. Eagle and Ernest syndromes: A scoping review. Minerva Dent Oral Sci 2024; 73(2): 119-130. https://doi.org/10.23736/S2724-6329.22.04724-6

Published

2025-11-03

How to Cite

1.
Martín Moreno V, Martín Fernández A, Hurtado Gallar J, Angulo García C, Pérez Blanco M. Cervicobrachialgia in a female in her fourth decade of life: Have Eagle’s syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome been considered?. An Sist Sanit Navar [Internet]. 2025 Nov. 3 [cited 2026 Mar. 12];48(3):e1146. Available from: https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/ASSN/article/view/117288

Similar Articles

<< < 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.