Differential diagnosis must be made from Eagle's Syndrome which uses the patient's description of "something caught in my throat" as a diagnostic tool.

Eagle's Syndrome is an elongation of the styloid process causing irritation to nerves and muscles in the region resulting in a number of unusual symptoms.

It frequently contains a little cartilage in its center, is often partially ossified (known as Eagle's Syndrome), and in many animals forms a distinct bone, the epihyal.