Abstract
We present a retrospective study of 37 infants who were operated for acute mastoiditis during the period 2000–2004 in Mother and Child Health Care Institute, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. About 23 patients (62.2%) were male and 14 (37.8%) were female. Acute mastoiditis developed just after the first infection of the middle ear in 26 patients (70.3%). All patients had local and general symptoms. The most common local symptoms were blurred tympanic membrane in all patients, painful tenderness of mastoid in 21 (57%) and redness of tympanic membrane in 13 (36%). General signs of infection were loss of body weight in 28 (75.7%) patients, fever in 21 (56.8%), vomiting in 19 (51.3%), diarrhea in 19 (51.3%) and severe anemia that requested red blood cell transfusion in 6 (16.2%). Suppuration did not appear in any of the patients. Tympanocentesis had been performed prior to surgery in all patients. The most frequently isolated causative microorganism was Streptococcus pneumoniae which was found in 12 (32.5%) patients, Staphylococcus aureus was found in 8 (21.5%) and Hemophilus influenzae in 2 (5.5%). In 15 (405%) patients there was no bacterial isolation. Eleven patients (29.7%) who had previously had acute otitis media were implanted ventilation tubes during the surgical intervention. All patients were treated with antibiotics prior and after the surgical intervention. The finding on mastoidectomy was positive in all cases. According to the results of our study the combination of antibiotic and surgical treatment is optimal in treating acute mastoiditis. Making a diagnosis of acute mastoiditis might not be easy since there are no specific symptoms. We emphasize that it should always be considered as a differential diagnosis in cases of prolonged acute otitis media with no improvement after 10 days of antibiotic treatment, especially when accompanied with weight loss and general condition worsening.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bitar C, Kluka R, Steele R (1996) Mastoiditis in children. Clin Pediatr 35:391–395
Bluestone CD, Stephenson JS, Martin LM (1992) Ten year review of otitis media pathogens. Pediatr Infect Dis J 11:7–11
Dhooge IJ, Vandenbuche T, Lemmerling M (1998) Value of computed tomography of the temporal bone of acute mastoiditis. Rev Laryngol Otol Rhinol (Bord) 119:91–94
Ghaffar FA, Wordemann M, McKracken Jr GH (2001) Acute mastoiditis in children: a seventeen years experience in Dallas. Pediatr Infect Dis J 20(4):376–380
Gliklich R, Eavery R, Iannuzzi R, Camacho A (1996) Contratemporary analysis of acute mastoiditis. Arch Otol Laryngol Head Neck Surg 122:135–139
Goldstein NA, Casselbrant ML, Bluestone CD, Kurs-Lasky M (1998) Intratemporal complications of acute otitis media in infants and children. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 119:444–454
Ingvarssom L, Lundgren K, Olofsson B (1985) Epidemiology of acute otitis media in children in an urban population. Auris Nasus Larynx 1(Suppl 12):105–107
Luntz M, Brodsky A, Nusem S, Kroneberg J, Keren G, Migirov L, Cohen D, Zohar S, Shapira A, Ophir D, Fishman G, Rosen G, Kisilevsky V, Magamse I, Zaaroura S, Joachims HZ, Goldenberg D (2001) Acute mastoiditis–the antibiotic era: a multicenter study. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 57:1–9
Niv A, Mash M, Peiser J, Dagan R, Einhorn M, Lieberman A, Fliss DM (1998) Outpatient management of acute otomastoiditis with periostitis in children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 46:13
Niv A, Nash M, Slovik Y, Fliss DM, Kaplan D, Leibovitz E, Katz A, Dagan R, Lieberman A (2004) Acute mastoiditis in infancy: the “Soroka” expirience:1990–2000. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 68:1435–1439
Palva T, Pukkinen K (1959) Mastoiditis. J Laryngol Otol 73:573–588
Palva T, Virtanen H, Makinen J (1985) Acute and latent mastoiditis in children. J Laryngol Otol 99:127–136
Rosen A, Ophir D, Marshak G (1986) Acute mastoiditis a review of 69 cases. Clin Pediatr 35:222–224
Scott TA, Jackler RK (1989) Acute mastoiditis in infancy a sequela of unrecognized acute otitis media. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 101(6):683–687
Tarantino V, DAgostino R, Taborelli G, Melagrana A, Porcu A, Stura M (2002) Acute mastoiditis in children: a 10 year retrospective study. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 66:143–148
Vera-Cruz P, Farinha R, Calado V (1999) Acute mastoiditis in children-our experience. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 50:113–117
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baljosevic, I., Mircetic, N., Subarevic, V. et al. Acute mastoiditis in infants. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 263, 906–909 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-006-0085-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-006-0085-z