title: Fusobacterium necrophorum mastoiditis in children - emerging pathogen in an old disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anaerobic bacteria are uncommon etiologic agents of acute mastoiditis in children. However, recent studies suggest an increase in the incidence of Fusobacterium necrophorum mastoid infections in the last two decades.
  
  
  METHODS
  A surveillance study performed over 3.5 years in a tertiary pediatric medical center identified 7 children with acute F. necrophorum mastoiditis. Clinical, laboratory, and treatment data were collected by file review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five of the 7 children presented in the last year of the study. All 7 children were less than 26 months old on admission, and none had a history of otogenic infections. All cases were characterized by significantly elevated levels of inflammatory markers. All were diagnosed as complicated mastoiditis with abscess formation. Four children had an epidural abscess, three children had evidence of osteomyelitis beyond the mastoid bone, and four children had imaging evidence of sinus vein thrombosis. All seven children required cortical mastoidectomy with ventilatory tubes insertion and two children required more than one surgical intervention. During follow-up, two children had recurrent episodes of mastoiditis due to other pathogens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support the literature suggesting that the occurrence of F. necrophorum mastoiditis among children is rising. Acute coalescent mastoiditis due to F. necrophorum is associated with a complicated course and warrants particular attention by pediatricians, infectious disease experts, and ear, nose and throat specialists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics A, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel. yoji@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: Havatzelet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yarden-Bilavsky
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raveh
authors.forename: Gilat
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Livni
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Scheuerman
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amir
authors.forename: Efraim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bilavsky
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D005675:Fusobacterium necrophorum / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery*; D008417:Mastoiditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents