[Acute mastoiditis in childhood. A study of 15 cases]

We present 15 cases of acute mastoiditis diagnosed in previously healthy children. Diagnostic criteria were the presence of acute otitis media, retroauricular inflammatory signs and radiographic alteration of the mastoid bone. The average age of the children was 3 years, with a range between 5 months and 7 years. Two children were younger than 1 year of age. The lesion was unilateral in all cases. Blood analysis revealed an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, being higher than 66 mm in the first hour in all patients. In 4 children it was higher than 110 mm. Ten children received previous antibiotic therapy for acute otitis media and five children did not. Among these 10 treated children, antibiotic therapy was unsuitable in 3 cases. All patients were treated on admission with i.v. antibiotic therapy. Tympanostomy was performed in 5 of 6 cases with the entire eardrum. Mastoidectomy was performed in 3 patients due to poor results of the treatment. The evolution was successful in all cases.