Mastoiditis is
a serious bacterial infection that affects the mastoid bone behind the ear
. It’s more common in children. Most people with mastoiditis recover quickly and have no complications as long as the condition is diagnosed and treated quickly.
What causes a mastoid infection?
The most common cause of mastoiditis is
an untreated inner ear infection (acute otitis media)
. Less frequently, a condition called cholesteatoma can cause mastoiditis. Cholesteatoma is an abnormal growing collection of skin cells inside the ear that can prevent the ear from draining, which can lead to mastoiditis.
What happens if mastoiditis is left untreated?
If mastoiditis develops and treatment is not given, the
infection can progress
. It may enter the inner ear and cause profound hearing loss and vertigo. It may infect the facial nerve and cause a facial droop. It can spread into the neck and cause infection of the muscles of the neck resulting in neck abscess.
How do you get rid of mastoiditis?
Mastoid surgery,
or mastoidectomy
, involves drilling a hole in the mastoid bone and removing the infected air cells. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia, and many patients return home later the same day. Afterwards, your ears will be bandaged, and there may be stitches.
What are the symptoms of a mastoid infection?
- redness, tenderness and pain behind the ear.
- swelling behind the ear that can cause it to stick out.
- discharge from the ear.
- a high temperature, irritability and tiredness.
- headache.
- hearing loss in the affected ear.
How quickly does mastoiditis develop?
Mastoiditis can begin after symptoms of an ear infection seem to have cleared up. It may also appear as a progressively worsening ear infection. When a person develops new symptoms
within a few weeks
of an ear infection, a doctor may assess them to see if they have mastoiditis.
What is the best antibiotic for mastoiditis?
Antibiotic selection should provide good intracranial penetration and MDRSP coverage. With the high frequency of invasive resistant strains in mastoiditis, initial therapy of
intravenous vancomycin and ceftriaxone
is most appropriate until results of the culture and sensitivity studies are available.
What are complications of mastoiditis?
- Hearing loss.
- Facial nerve palsy.
- Cranial nerve involvement.
- Osteomyelitis.
- Petrositis.
- Labyrinthitis.
- Gradenigo syndrome – Otitis media, retro-orbital pain, and abducens palsy.
- Intracranial extension – Meningitis, cerebral abscess, epidural abscess, subdural empyema.
How long does mastoid surgery take?
The operation almost always is performed under a general anaesthetic. It can take
between 1 hour to 3 hours
. Surgery involves making a cut above the opening of your ear or behind your ear.
Is mastoid surgery painful?
The cut (incision) the doctor made behind
your ear may be sore
. And you may have ear pain for about a week. Your ear will probably feel blocked or stuffy.
Can you hear after Mastoidectomy?
After surgery, you may
hear popping and cracking sounds for 3 to 5 weeks
. This is normal, and the sounds usually go away with time. You may also have short-term or permanent hearing loss after surgery.
Who needs a Mastoidectomy?
The main indications for performing a mastoidectomy include acute mastoiditis, chronic mastoiditis with its sequelae, and cholesteatoma. [1] Mastoidectomy can be performed in coordination with tympanostomy tube placement in
patients with complications of chronic otitis media or acute otitis media
.
How serious is a mastoid infection?
If left untreated, mastoiditis can cause serious,
even life-threatening, health complications
, including hearing loss, blood clot, meningitis, or a brain abscess. But with early and appropriate antibiotic treatment and drainage, these complications can usually be avoided and you can recover completely.
Can ear infection spread to brain?
There are 3 main ways a brain abscess can develop. These are: an infection in another part of the skull – such as an ear infection, sinusitis or dental abscess, which
can spread directly into the brain
.
Can you have mastoiditis without fever?
Chronic mastoiditis
can also occur after an infection, but typically does not cause severe pain and fever. With chronic mastoiditis, recurrent ear infections or ear drainage often occurs.
What can mimic mastoiditis?
Local cellulitis of the scalp or preauricular tissues, or insect bites
. Isolated inflammation or infection of the skin and scalp tissues behind the ear can mimic some signs of acute mastoiditis.
