Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone of the skull. The mastoid bone is located just behind the ear.
Mastoiditis is most often caused by a middle ear infection (acute otitis media). The infection may spread from the ear to the mastoid bone. The bone has a honeycomb-like structure that fills with infected material and may break down.
The condition is most common in children. Before antibiotics, mastoiditis was one of the leading causes of death in children. The condition does not occur very often today. It is also much less dangerous.
Symptoms include:
Mastoiditis may be hard to treat because the medicine may not reach deeply into the bone. The condition sometimes requires repeated or long-term treatment. The infection is treated with antibiotic injections, followed by antibiotics taken by mouth.
Surgery to remove part of the bone and drain the mastoid (mastoidectomy) may be needed if antibiotic treatment does not work. Surgery to drain the middle ear through the eardrum (myringotomy) may be needed to treat the middle ear infection.
Eugene Leibovitz practices in Beersheba, Israel. Leibovitz is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Mastoiditis. He is also highly rated in 14 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Otitis, Mastoiditis, Osteomyelitis in Children, and Strep Throat.
Tal Marom practices in Ashdod, Israel. Marom is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Mastoiditis. He is also highly rated in 9 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Otitis, Mastoiditis, Otitis Media with Effusion, Endoscopy, and Appendectomy.
Anu Hongisto-Laulajainen practices in Helsinki, Finland. Hongisto-Laulajainen is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Mastoiditis. She is also highly rated in 7 other conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Mastoiditis, Osteomyelitis in Children, Otitis, and Osteomyelitis.
Mastoiditis can be cured. However, it may be hard to treat and may come back.
Complications may include:
Contact your health care provider if you have symptoms of mastoiditis.
Also call if:
Prompt and thorough treatment of ear infections reduces the risk for mastoiditis.
Summary: The aim of the study is to assess the influence of adjuvant corticosteroid treatment in acute mastoiditis in children. we expect a better outcome in children treated with both corticosteroids and antibiotics including lower rates in complications and earlier decline in fever and inflammatory markers.
Published Date: May 30, 2022
Published By: Josef Shargorodsky, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Matlock AG, Pfaff JA. Otolaryngology. Matlock AG, In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 58.
Pelton SI. Otitis externa, otitis media, and mastoiditis. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 61.