Hyoid Bone Syndrome: A Retrospective Review of 84 Patients Treated with Triamcinolone Acetonide Injections

Abstract

Objectives:

We present a cohort of patients with hyoid bone syndrome who were treated with injections of triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg/mL), in order to raise awareness of this condition, validate its existence, and demonstrate the efficacy of this treatment.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who were given a diagnosis of and treated for hyoid bone syndrome by the senior author (A.D.R.) between 2006 and 2009.

Results:

Eighty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. All patients presented with throat pain and had tenderness of 1 (63%) or both (38%) greater cornua of the hyoid bone. Seventy-four percent of the patients had complete resolution of symptoms with injection of the affected side(s), 15% had a partial response, and 10% had no response. One patient had a recurrence at 3 months and chose not to receive another treatment. Forty-five of the 62 patients with a complete response required only 1 injection. Forty-three patients (51%) also complained of dysphonia, only 5 of whom had additional laryngeal disorders that accounted for the dysphonia.

Conclusions:

Hyoid bone syndrome should be considered in patients who present with throat pain. Injection of triamcinolone into the affected greater cornu can confirm the diagnosis and resolve symptoms. A positive response to triamcinolone injection may obviate the need for additional testing and procedures.

Keywords

dysphonia hyodynia hyoid bone hyoid bone syndrome neck pain odynophagia throat pain

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brown

, Hyoid bone syndrome. South Med J 1954;47:1088–91.

Lim

, Carotodynia exposed: Hyoid bone syndrome. South Med J 1987;80:444–6.

Nir

Hefer

Joachims

, Hyoid bone syndrome and its treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Am J Otolaryngol 1998;19:296–300.

Ernest

III Salter

, Hyoid bone syndrome: A degenerative injury of the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle with photomicroscopic evidence of insertion tendinosis. J Prosthet Dent 1991;66:78–83.

Aydil

Ekinci

Köybaşioğlu

Kizil

Hyoid bone insertion tendinitis: Clinicopathologic correlation. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2007;264:557–60.

Steinmann

, Styloid syndrome in absence of an elongated process. Acta Otolaryngol 1968;66:347–56.

Robinson

Davis

Fraser

, The hyoid syndrome: A pain in the neck. J Laryngol Otol 1994;108:855–8.

Shenoi

, Stylohyoid syndrome. J Laryngol 1972;86:1203–11.

Kopstein

Hyoid syndrome. Arch Otolaryngol 1975;101:484–5.

10.

Kunachak

Anterior cervical pain syndromes: Hyoid, thyroid and cricoid cartilage syndromes and their treatment with triamcinolone acetonide. J Laryngol Otol 1995;109:49–52.