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Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone of the skull. It is usually a serious complication that occurs following inadequate treatment of an acute middle ear infection (otitis media). The prevalence of mastoiditis has decreased with the advent of a wide variety of antibiotics. It is now a relatively uncommon and much less dangerous (but still serious) disorder that occurs when medical treatment has not been sought for an acute middle ear infection or when treatment has failed to eliminate the infection.
The infections spread from the affected middle ear to a projection of the temporal bone located behind the ear (the mastoid process) through hollow spaces of various sizes and shapes (mastoid cells) connecting the two areas. Causes of failed treatment for acute middle ear infection that lead to mastoiditis include poor compliance with antibiotic therapy, the presence of an antibiotic-resistant organism, or a weakened immune system that cannot fight infection adequately. The most common organisms (pathogens) causing mastoiditis are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pyogenes.
Chronic mastoiditis is a serious infection that can destroy the mastoid bone and the structures of the middle ear and lead to a number of intracranial complications, some of them life-threatening.
Risk: Individuals with a weakened immune system are more susceptible to mastoiditis. The condition is more prevalent in children. Incidence and Prevalence: Mastoiditis that develops from acute otitis media occurs in about 0.004% of the population in the US (Young). Developing countries have a higher incidence of mastoiditis. |
Source: Medical Disability Advisor