Unilateral complete articulated ossification of the stylohyoid apparatus: case report and review of the literature

Anatomical variations of the stylohyoid apparatus are frequent. Two types can occur: an elongation of the stylohyoid ligament, from a long styloid process to a complete ossified structure connecting the skull base to the lesser horn of the hyoid bone, or the existence of supernumerary bones in the stylohyoid fibrous matrix, which sometimes resembles phalanges. These variations are in the majority of cases bilateral and symmetrical. The authors report the case of a 43-year-old male patient who presented with an unusual unilateral complete ossification of the stylohyoid apparatus, associated with vertebral and laryngeal calcifications. Original latest generation CT scan and three-dimensional MRI imagery are provided to illustrate this rare case.