what is Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis is a bacterial infection of the bone immediately behind the ear. It is hollow, like the sinuses of the face, and is connected to the middle ear cavity. Infection may spread from the ear into the mastoid bone. Since the structures involved with hearing are contained in the bone immediately in front of the mastoid, they may be damaged

Mastoiditis is an infection of mastoid process, the portion of the temporal bone of the skull that is behind the ear which contains open, air-containing spaces.It is usually caused by untreated acute otitis media (middle ear infection) and used to be a leading cause of child mortality. With the development of antibiotics, however, mastoiditis has become quite rare in developed countries, most likely due to antibiotic treatment of otitis media before it can spread. It is treated with medications and/or surgery. If untreated, the infection can spread to surrounding structures, including the brain, causing serious complications

by mastoiditis. In addition, the facial nerve passes through this bone and can be damaged leading to weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles.
If the infection destroys the bone, it may spread into the overlying brain.

Infections which occur in the middle ear, otitis media, can spread to the adjacent mastoid process. The mastoid bone is directly behind the ear. In addition, chronic diseases or diseases which impair the immune system of the body, such as cancer and AIDS, can lead to infections within the mastoid bone.

The most common symptom of mostoiditis is severe earache. It is not uncommon to develop red, painful swelling behind the ear. Headaches associated with fever occur. There may be drainage from the ear and varying degrees of hearing loss.

In general, mastoiditis is rather simple to prevent. If the patient with an ear infection seeks treatment promptly and receives complete treatment, the antibiotics will usually cure the infection and prevent its spread. For this reason, mastoiditis is rare in developed countries.