Mastoid Inflammatory Disease

Mastoid inflammatory disease, also known as mastoiditis, is a bacterial infection in the mastoid process, the prominent bone located behind the ear. The infection attacks the mastoid air cells, described by HealthScout as "small, air-filled cavities located in the mastoid process." Diagnosed mostly in children, the disease, if left untreated, can ultimately cause hearing loss and destruction of bone in the skull.

How It Begins

• Mastoid inflammatory disease usually begins as a complication of a bacterial infection in the middle ear called otis media, which itself develops from an invasion of bacteria following a blockage of the eustachian tube. This middle ear infection becomes chronic in some patients and can spread to the mastoid process if allowed to go on unchecked for a protracted length of time. Mastoiditis most often results as a complication of chronic otis media but sometimes can be triggered by an acute attack of otis media, according to HealthScout.

Bacterial Culprits

• HealthScout reports that the bacteria most often implicated in mastoid inflammatory disease are pneumococci, beta-hemolytic streptococci, Haemophilus influenzae, staphylococci and various forms of gram-negative bacteria. The incidence of pneumococci-caused infection is particularly high among children under the age of 6, according to HealthScout.

Symptoms and Complications

• Symptoms of mastoid inflammatory disease, according to MedlinePlus, may include redness of the ear, as well as redness and swelling of the area behind the ear; sudden onset of fever, often high; headache; discharge from the ear; and loss of hearing. Left untreated, mastoiditis can lead to some extremely serious complications, including a total hearing loss, facial paralysis, meningitis or epidural abscess. The infection also might spread to the brain or go systemic, affecting the entire body.

Consult a Doctor

• If you are exhibiting one or more of the symptoms of mastoid inflammatory disease or have a persistent ear infection, you should see your doctor immediately. She can determine the precise nature of your problem and begin treatment or order diagnostic tests. Tests that are helpful in diagnosing mastoiditis include an X-ray of the skull or CT scans of the ear and/or head.

Treatment

• Mastoid inflammatory disease can be a challenge to treat because the infection is located within the mastoid bone, an area difficult to reach with medication. MedlinePlus says the first line of treatment is with antibiotics that may be injected in the early stages of treatment and then administered orally later. If the infection fails to responds to antibiotic therapy, it may be necessary to remove part of the mastoid bone in order to drain the area of infection. Surgical drainage of middle ear infection also may be undertaken if the mastoiditis appears to be a complication of chronic otis media.