Mastoiditis

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Mastoiditis - redness and swelling behind ear

Mastoiditis - side view of head

Mastoiditis may be difficult to treat because medications may not reach deep enough into the mastoid bone. It may require repeated or long-term treatment. The infection is treated with antibiotics by injection, then antibiotics by mouth.

Surgery to remove part of the bone and drain the mastoid (mastoidectomy) may be needed if antibiotic therapy is not successful. Surgery to drain the middle ear through the eardrum (myringotomy) may be needed to treat the middle ear infection.

Mastoiditis is curable with treatment. However, it may be hard to treat and may come back.

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• Destruction of the mastoid bone
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Epidural abscess
• Facial paralysis
• Meningitis
• Partial or complete hearing loss
• Spread of infection to the brain or throughout the body

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of mastoiditis.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if:

• You have an ear infection that does not respond to treatment or is followed by new symptoms
• Your symptoms do not respond to treatment

Review Date: 08/03/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH, Otolaryngologist, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).