This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Clinical features

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Symptoms of acute mastoiditis include:

  • earache, persistent and throbbing
  • a creamy, often profuse ear discharge
  • a history of increasing deafness

Signs include:

  • patient is pyrexial and usually looks very ill
  • there may be marked tenderness over the mastoid antrum
  • the pinna may be pushed down and forward due to a swelling in the post-auricular region. Examination from behind may be required to assess this.
  • the tympanic membrane is either red and bulging or perforated - N.B. a normal tympanic membrane that is not perforated is not seen in acute mastoiditis.
  • signs of conductive deafness, e.g. Rinne negative; Weber's test shows that sound is heard loudest in the deafer ear.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.