| If treatment of acute or chronic mastoiditis fails, the infection can spread to other areas of the head and neck and cause serious, even life-threatening complications such as meningitis, subdural infection, brain abscess, infection of the petrous bone (petrous apicitis) situated between the inner and middle ear, infection of the temporal bone (osteomyelitis), facial paralysis caused by inflammation of the facial nerve, and facial palsy caused by chronic pressure on the facial nerve. Thrombosis of the sigmoid sinus can lead to sepsis and increased intracranial pressure, must be treated with intravenous antibiotics or surgical drainage, and may even require tying off the internal jugular vein in the neck. Permanent hearing loss can be a complication of chronic mastoiditis or a consequence of the mastoidectomy procedure. |
Source: Medical Disability Advisor