Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone of the skull. The mastoid is located just behind the outside ear. Some symptoms would include: hearing loss, headaches, redness of the ear, swelling or redness behind the ear, drainage from the ear, fever and ear pain or discomfort. Mastoiditis is sometimes caused by a middle ear infection. The infection that is in the ear may spread from the ear to the mastoid bone of the skull. The masoid bone would then fill with infected materials and it may deteriorate. Mastoiditis affects children the most. Mastoiditis was one of the leading causes of death before medicine was available. It is uncommon and less dangerous now. Some tests that are ran to determine Mastoiditis would be: CT scan of the ear, head CT scan, and Skull x-ray. The infection is hard to treat because medicines do not reach deep enough to the mastoid bone. It sometimes takes repeated or long-term treatment. Mastoiditis is treated with an injection of antibiotics, then taking antibiotics by the mouth. If this does not work, Surgery to take out part of the bone and drain the mastoid. Because this is hard to treat, it may come back in time.
A.D.A.M., inc. (2010, March 11). Mastoiditis. Retrieved from http://health.google.com/health/ref/Mastoiditis
Welleschik, B. (2009, September 11). Mastoiditis. Retrieved from http://common.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mastoiditis1.jpg
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