chronic otomastoiditis

Chronic otomastoiditis is defined as persistent or recurrent inflammation of the middle ear (chronic otitis media) and mastoid, lasting usually for a minimum of 12 weeks, often resulting in permanent perforation of the tympanic membrane. It should be considered a separate entity from acute otomastoiditis.

Clinical presentation

​Patients typically present with conductive hearing loss, chronic pain, otorrhea and vertigo.

Pathology

It is thought to be primarily due to Eustachian tube dysfunction. Interestingly chronic otomastoiditis is not found in non-human primates. Upright posture and enlarged skull have been postulated as potential predisposing factors.

Radiographic features

The term encompasses a number of conditions:

• tympanic membrane changes: thickening, retraction, tympanic membrane perforation or calcification (myringosclerosis)
• mastoid process changes: underdeveloped pneumatization, sclerosis or opacification
• middle ear changes:
  • middle ear atelectasis / effusion / granulation tissue
  • non-cholesteatomatous ossicular chain / tympanic cavity erosions
  • ossicular chain fixation
  • tympanosclerosis
  • acquired cholesteatoma
  • cholesterol granuloma

See also

• otomastoiditis

Siehe auch:

• Cholesterolgranulom der Felsenbeinspitze
• Mastoiditis
• erworbenes Cholesteatom
• akute Otomastoiditis
• middle ear effusion
• eustachian tube dysfunction
• tympanic membrane retraction
• middle ear granulation tissue

und weiter:

• Cholesteatom
• Nervus facialis
• Cholesteatom des äußeren Gehörgangs
• Rhabdomyosarkom der Kopf-Hals-Region
• Osteomyelitis der Schädelbasis