title: Intratemporal complications from acute otitis media in children: 17 cases in two years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To describe the clinical features of intratemporal complications of acute otitis media (AOM) in children, a retrospective study was carried out for two years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We considered acute mastoiditis, presence of postauricular swelling, erythema and tenderness and anteroinferior displacement of the auricle; labyrinthitis, presence of vestibular symptoms (spontaneous nystagmus and ataxia with or without vomiting; and facial nerve palsy, absence or decreased motility in hemiface. All children underwent otomicroscopy for evidence of coexistent or recent AOM. Cultures were obtained by tympanocentesis and myringotomy, drainage of subperiosteal abscess or from granulation tissue during tympanomastoidectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From January 2008 to December 2009, 17 patients fulfilled the entry criteria. Median age: 54.2 months. Of the 17 cases, 30% were infants younger than twelve months and most were boys (70.6%). 8/17 were receiving antimicrobial treatment. Diagnoses included 9/17 (52.9%) acute mastoiditis, 7/17 (41.2%) labyrinthitis and 1/17 (5.9%) facial nerve palsy. Intracranial complications were present in 17.6%. All required intravenous antimicrobial treatment. Myringotomy was performed in 16/17, drainage of subperiosteal abscess in 3/17 and tympanomastoidectomy in 2/17. Bacteriology was positive in 9/17 cases, isolating Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes) in 44% of patients. Secuelaes: One unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute mastoiditis is the most common complication. Labyrinthitis was diagnosed in 41.2% of cases. S. pyogenes was prevalent in these serious invasive infections in our area. Associated intracranial complications were present in 17.6% cases. Resolution of AOM complications required surgical procedures in all cases (myringotomy, drainage of subperiosteal abscess or tympanomastoidectomy).
authors: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, CABA, Argentina. silvanapellegrini75@hotmail.com
authors: Silvana
authors: S
authors: Pellegrini
authors: María Emilia
authors: ME
authors: Gonzalez Macchi
authors: Patricia Alejandra
authors: PA
authors: Sommerfleck
authors: Patricia Cristina
authors: PC
authors: Bernáldez
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007762:Labyrinthitis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008417:Mastoiditis / Q000209:etiology*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors