Mastoiditis in children: A retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics

Introduction. Acute mastoiditis is the most common otogenic complication among infants and young children and is always considered a serious complication. In addition to determining the age at which mastoiditis usually occurred in children, the time of onset of clinical signs in relation to the onset of symptoms of middle ear inflammation, as well as the most common clinical signs of mastoiditis, the study has been aimed at finding out whether mastoiditis is of seasonal character. Material and Methods. A retrospective study of children surgically treated for mastoiditis was conducted at the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Disease of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina in Novi Sad in the period January 1, 2002 - December 31, 2011. The sample included 56 children (30 boys - 53.57%, and 26 girls - 46.42%), up to 17 years of age. The obtained results were statistically analyzed and presented using Microfsot EXCEL for statistical analysis. Results. Mastoiditis is most common in children up to 2 years of age, 39/56 (69.82%). It has a seasonal character, with the peak season in the autumn-winter period, with a statistically significant difference compared to the spring-summer period (p = 0.0449, i.e. p<0.05). In 25 children (44.64%), the middle ear symptoms lasted up to three weeks before operation. Otomicroscopic findings showed that the tympanic membrane was thickened and stiff in 41 children (73.21%) and 9 children (16.07%) presented with thickened tympanic membrane and lowering of the posterior wall of the external auditory canal. Conclusion. Mastoiditis in children is most common among children up to 24 months of age. It has a seasonal tendency. In nearly half of the cases, clinical manifestations of mastoiditis appear 3 weeks after the onset of the first symptoms of middle ear inflammation, whereas the key otomicroscopic finding is stiffness and thickening of the tympanic membrane.