Hepatolienal fusion combined with Eagle syndrome: A rare case report

• Main Authors: Flamur Blakaj, Ditor Haliti, Vesa Kotori, Valon Hyseni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-12-01
• Series: Forensic Science International: Reports
• Subjects: Hepatolienal fusion; Eagle syndrome; Forensic autopsy
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665910720300360

Hepatolienal fusion is an extremely rare anomaly that has been reported only twice in the English-language literature, whereas an elongated styloid process accompanied with symptoms (Eagle syndrome) is a more commonly reported condition. These two conditions have never been documented together within a single individual. A 48-year-old male professional driver, without a history of any disease, suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed by banging his head on the steering wheel while driving to his home yard. He was rushed to the nearest medical center without vital signs and subsequently died. During forensic autopsy, we observed fusion of the left lobe of the liver with the spleen, and the presence of an elongated styloid process on the right side of the neck attached to the hyoid bone. We believe that this is the first documented case of hepatolienal fusion and Eagle syndrome. This case could provide a potential avenue for further research in relation to organ development disorders.