Mastoiditis | Symptoms & Causes
What are the symptoms of mastoiditis?
- pain behind the ear
- swelling of the ear lobe
- recent ear infection
- fever
- irritability
- redness or swelling of the bone behind the ear
- drainage from an ear infection
What causes mastoiditis?
Mastoiditis is usually a result of an extension of the inflammation of the middle ear infection into the mastoid air cells. If your child has mastoiditis, she probably had a recent ear infection or has middle ear infections that continue to reoccur. The risk of mastoiditis is reduced with the use of antibiotics for ear infections. Mastoiditis may be caused by various bacteria.
What are the effects of mastoiditis?
If the infection continues to spread, despite antibiotic therapy, the following complications may occur:
- meningitis: an infection of the outside of the brain
- brain abscess: a pocket of pus and infection that may develop in the brain
Early and proper treatment of mastoiditis is necessary to prevent the development of these life-threatening complications.
Mastoiditis | Diagnosis & Treatments
How do we diagnose mastoiditis?
In addition to taking a complete medical history and physical examination, your child's physician will inspect the outer ear(s) and eardrum(s) using an otoscope. The otoscope is a lighted instrument that allows the physician to see inside of the ear. A pneumatic otoscope blows a puff of air into the ear to test eardrum movement.
Tympanometry is a test that can be performed in most physician offices to help determine how the middle ear is functioning. It does not tell if your child is hearing or not, but helps to detect any changes in pressure in the middle ear. This is a difficult test to perform in younger children because your child needs to sit very still and not be crying, talking, or moving.
Your child's physician may also order the following tests to help confirm the diagnosis:
- blood work
- x-rays of the head: a diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues and bones of the head onto film
- culture from the infected ear
If your child has symptoms of a brain abscess or other intracranial complication, your child's physician may order the following:
- computerized tomography (CT) scan: a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called "slices"), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays.
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radio frequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.
If your child has symptoms of meningitis, your child's physician may order:
- lumbar puncture: a special needle is placed into the lower back, into the spinal canal. This is the area around the spinal cord. The pressure in the spinal canal and brain can then be measured. A small amount of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) can be removed and sent for testing to determine if there is an infection or other problems. CSF is the fluid that bathes your child's brain and spinal cord.
How we treat mastoiditis
Treatment usually requires hospitalization and a complete evaluation by a physician who specializes in the ear, nose, and throat disorders (otolaryngologist). Your child, in most cases, will receive antibiotics through an intravenous (IV) catheter. Surgery is sometimes needed to help drain the fluid from the middle ear.
Your child's physician may suggest a myringotomy, a surgical procedure which involves making a small opening in the eardrum to drain the fluid and relieve the pressure from the middle ear.
- A small tube may be placed in the opening of the eardrum to ventilate the middle ear and to prevent fluid from accumulating.
- Your child's hearing is restored after the fluid is drained. The tubes usually fall out on their own after six to 12 months.
How we care for mastoiditis
Our Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement provides care, including diagnostic evaluation and surgical therapy for children of all ages with diseases or conditions of the head and neck, including the ears, nose, and throat.
