User:Mr. Ibrahem/Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis is an infection of the air cells within skull behind the ear. Symptoms may redness, swelling, and tenderness behind the ear together with fever and ear pain. Complications may include meningitis, intracranial abscess, and venous sinus thrombosis.

Mastoiditis most commonly occurs as a complication of a middle ear infection. Risk factors include poor immune function. Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms and examination. Examination of the ear drum will often show pus. Medical imaging may be useful in cases which are unclear.

Treatment is with antibiotics such as intravenous ceftriaxone or vancomycin. Other measures that may be required include making a cut in the ear drum, tympanostomy tubes, or a mastoidectomy. Other medications that may be used include steroids.

Mastoiditis is uncommon, affected about 2.7 per 100,000 children per year. Children, particularly those less than 2, are more commonly affected than adults. Before the availability of antibiotics and the pneumococcal vaccine the disease was more common.