Pediatric mastoiditis (mas·toid·itis) is inflammation and infection of the mastoid bone, located in the middle ear. It usually occurs as a complication of a middle ear infection.
Overview
What is pediatric mastoiditis?
Mastoiditis is a complication of a middle ear infection (otitis media) that happens when the mastoid bone becomes inflamed or infected. Your child’s mastoid bone is a part of the temporal bone, located in the middle ear.
The mastoid bone is important to the drainage of the middle ear, so if your child has a middle ear infection, it can lead to mastoiditis. Mastoiditis infections can range from mild to severe and life-threatening.
Signs and Symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric mastoiditis?
Ear drainage
Ear pain, usually behind the ear
Fever
Irritability
Redness behind the ear
Swelling of the earlobe
Causes
What are the causes of pediatric mastoiditis?
The bacteria from a middle ear infection can affect the cells in the mastoid, causing mastoiditis.
Risk factors
Your child is at a higher risk for developing mastoiditis if they have recently had a middle ear infection.