Acute mastoiditis in children. A retrospective study and literature review

ObjectiveTo review our experience and results in the diagnosis and treatment of acute mastoiditis, a pathology with an increasing incidence in the recent years.MethodsThe study reviewed 49 pediatric patients diagnosed and treated of acute mastoiditis between 1994 and 2003 in our hospital. We summarize epidemiologic, laboratory and clinical features.ResultsThe mean age was 2.5 years. Seventy-five percent of cases were in autumn and winter months and nearly twenty-five percent had been diagnosed in the last year. S. pneumoniae was the most commonly isolated pathogen (28.6%), although a sterile result was the most frequent (38.1%). Twenty-four patients (48.9%) required surgical treatment. Only five patients (10.2%) developed complications.ConclusionsAcute mastoiditis is a pathology with an important incidence and is generally the consequence of an untreated otitis or an insufficient treatment. Due to the low number of complications, we can not estimate through statistical analysis valid markers like predictors for complication.