Discovery of a novel variant of the stylochondrohyoideus muscleunilateral

H. Wayne LAMBERT, Stavros ATSA

Abstract

During routine dissection of the suprahyoid region, a duplicate stylohyoid muscle was found in a 65-year-old Caucasian female. This variant muscle arose from the base of the styloid process before proceeding to envelope and insert upon the stylohyoid ligament. While other authors have reported the presence of a stylochondrohyoideus muscle which replaced the stylohyoid ligament or inserted into the stylohyoid ligament distally, this case study presents the first reported finding of a muscle completely enveloping the stylohyoid ligament proximally and then inserting directly into the ligament itself. Due to its association with the stylohyoid ligament, this muscle is being classified as a new variant of the stylochondrohyoideus muscle. This paper also attempts to resolve the nomenclature discrepancies associated with duplicate stylohyoid muscles.