Latent mastoiditis (literature review)

Abstract

Introduction. Mastoiditis is an extracranial complication of acute or chronic purulent otitis media, leading to periostitis or osteitis of the mastoid process, accompanied by obvious symptoms and requiring urgent surgical treatment. Latent mastoiditis is defined as a stage of local inflammation due to acute otitis media, without an obvious clinical picture of progressive destruction of the bone cells of the mastoid process. Recently, there has been a trend towards an increase in indolent forms of mastoiditis. The use of systemic antibiotic therapy for the treatment of acute otitis media complicates timely diagnosis and contributes to the chronicity of inflammation in the structures of the temporal bone. Making a diagnosis of latent mastoiditis requires vigilance from outpatient clinicians and the use of objective imaging methods due to the risk of developing intracranial complications.Aim. Conduct a review of literature sources to determine diagnostic criteria for the formation of latent mastoiditis in outpatient patients.Materials and methods. A search was carried out for articles from public databases using the query: “latent mastoiditis”, including data from literary sources whose authors made a significant contribution to the development of otorhinolaryngology. Summary data of the literature review, including both original studies and descriptions of clinical cases, identifying the main causes of the formation of latent mastoiditis and its clinical symptoms.Results and discussion. Local inflammation of the mastoid process, due to acute otitis media, has a progressive course of chronic sluggish inflammation of the bone structures of the temporal bone. Diagnosis of latent mastoiditis causes difficulties for practical healthcare doctors due to subtle clinical manifestations, and therefore it is necessary to determine the indications for referral to computed tomography.Conclusion. The medical and social significance of latent mastoiditis is that it has an unfavorable not only functional, but sometimes life prognosis, as it can cause the development of intracranial complications.