Acute mastoiditis: 30 years review in a tertiary hospital

Objective: Acute mastoiditis, the most common complication of acute otitis media, is approached in our study, focused on children from the Autonomous Community of Cantabria, Spain. The aim is to analyze its clinical-epidemiological characteristics and propose diagnostic and treatment recommendations.

Study design/setting: We conducted a 30-year retrospective study on patients under 18 years of age diagnosed with acute mastoiditis in Cantabria.

Methods: We analysed epidemiological data, clinical presentation, causes, treatment, and follow-up.

Results: We included 111 patients, 60.4 % of which were under 2 years old. The average incidence was 3.9/100,000 children per year. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common microorganism. Third-generation cephalosporins and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid were the most frequently used antibiotics. 19 % of patients underwent temporal bone CT scans. Twenty-nine children required surgical intervention, primarily myringotomy and mastoidectomy. Only 5.4 % developed retroauricular abscesses. During follow-up, 32 % experienced new acute otitis media cases.

Conclusions: The incidence of acute mastoiditis in Cantabria is similar to that of other developed countries. Imaging studies are reserved for cases with poor progression. Conservative management with antibiotics is suitable for many patients, with surgery reserved for poor responders. Complications are rare in our setting.