Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis is a severe bacterial infection that affects the bone of the mastoid behind the ear. It’s more common in young children. Most people with mastoiditis recover faster and have no difficulties as long as the condition is diagnosed and treated immediately.

Symptoms of mastoiditis

The symptoms of mastoiditis usually include:

hearing loss in the affected ear
redness, tenderness and pain behind the ear
a high temperature, irritability and tiredness
discharge from the ear
swelling behind the ear that may cause it to stick out

Symptoms of mastoiditis often occur after a reoccurring or severe ear infection. When to get medical advice see our GP as quickly as possible if you or your child have:

symptoms of mastoiditis
been diagnosed with mastoiditis and the treatment has not helped
an ear infection that does not strengthen with treatment or is followed by new symptoms

Causes of mastoiditis

The mastoid bone also has a honeycomb-like structure which contains air spaces called mastoid cells. Mastoiditis may develop if mastoid cells become infected or inflamed. Often following a prolonged middle ear infection (otitis media) Cholesteatoma may also cause mastoiditis. It is an abnormal collection of skin cells inside the ear that may prevent the ear from draining properly, leading to infection.

Diagnosing mastoiditis

Our GP will examine the inside of your ear using an otoscope (a light and magnifying glass device). If the GP thinks that you have mastoiditis as a problem of a middle ear infection, you will be referred to the (ENT) ear, nose and throat specialist for further evaluation. It usually involves a blood test and an ear culture (in which discharge from the ear is tested for bacterial infection). Some children also need a CT scan that uses X-rays and a computer to make detailed pictures of the inside of the skull.

Treatment

Mastoiditis is a severe infection that should be diagnosed and treated speedily with antibiotics. You may need to visit the hospital so that antibiotics can be administered straight away into the vein through a drip (intravenous).

In certain conditions, surgery may be needed to:

drain the middle ear (a myringotomy) remove part of the bone mastoid (mastoidectomy)
If you are admitted to the hospital for treatment, you will need to stay in for a few days until ENT specialists can be sure that the infection is under control.

After surgery

You or your child will most probably need to take six to ten days off work or school after surgery for mastoiditis. Please take care not to get the affected ear wet. After about a week, you should be able to wash your hair unless you get water inside your ear. You should be able to swim about 4 to 6 weeks after surgery, depending on how well the ear has healed. The doctor should give you specific guidance after surgery and at any follow-up appointment.

Complications of mastoiditis

Although most individuals with mastoiditis do not experience severe complications, treatment is not always straightforward, and the infection may recur. If the mastoid bone is heavily infected and is not removed, it may cause hearing loss and life-threatening health problems such as:

blood clots
brain abscess
meningitis

Mastoiditis is a bacterial infection of mastoid air cells that surround the inner and middle ears. The mastoid bone, which is filled with these air cells, is a portion of the temporal bone of the skull. The mastoid air cells are believed to protect the delicate structures of the ear, to control the pressure of the ear, and possibly to protect the temporal bone during trauma. When mastoid cells become infected or inflamed, often due to unsolved middle ear infection (otitis media), mastoiditis may establish. Because so many significant structures pass through the mastoid, the infection can spread outside the mastoid bone and cause considerable health complications. Acute mastoiditis usually affects children, but adults may also be affected. Some people have chronic mastoiditis, a continuing middle ear infection, and mastoid, which causes persistent ear drainage.

Mastoiditis Causes

As stated above, mastoiditis often emerges as a result of middle ear infection. Bacteria can travel from the middle ear to the air cells of the mastoid bone. Less commonly, a growing collection of skin cells called Cholesteatoma may block the drainage of the ear, leading to mastoiditis.