Prevalence and clinical significance of elongated calcified styloid processes in panoramic radiographs.

The styloid process refers to a mineralized styloid ligament of the temporal bone that usually appears (in different forms and lengths) on panoramic radiographs. This study sought to evaluate panoramic radiographs to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of elongated calcified styloid processes. For this study, panoramic radiographs from 1,000 dental patients were evaluated. Each styloid process length was measured and its pattern of calcification was assessed as elongated (that is, uninterrupted styloid calcification), pseudoarticulated (a single joint appearing as an articulated styloid process), or segmented (an interrupted calcified styloid process). Calcified styloid processes longer than 30 mm were considered to be elongated and were used for this study; 220 panoramic radiographs (22%) revealed such elongated processes. This retrospective study indicated that there is no clinical significance when elongated styloid processes are found coincidentally.