Acute mastoiditis in perspective

Thirty cases of acute mastoiditis with sub periosteal abscess were treated at Federal Government Services Hospital over a period of 8 years. The salient feature in these cases was the presence of extensive cholesteatoma in the mastoid presenting mainly in the paediatric age group. These children belonged to poor communities, were malnourished and attended hospital in a state of emergency. The presentation and course of these cases confirms the aggressive and potentially serious nature of the pathology requiring early medical attention in order to avert impending complications. Significantly all patients had a history of ear discharge prior to abscess formation. It appears that in our environment most cases of acute mastoiditis with abscess formation develop from chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma