Osteoradionecrosis of the hyoid presenting as a cause of intractable neck pain following radiotherapy and the role of magnetic resonance image scanning to aid diagnosis

Abstract

Osteoradionecrosis of the hyoid has been reported rarely in the worldwide literature. We present the case of a 56-year-old gentleman who presented with intractable neck pain, following surgery and radiotherapy for a T2N2cM0 tongue base carcinoma, to highlight the need to consider osteoradionecrosis of the hyoid rather than recurrence of the carcinoma as the cause of such symptoms. The previously unreported appearance of osteoradionecrosis of the hyoid on a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan and the use ofthis investigation to aid diagnosis is discussed.