Actuality of latent mastoiditis in modern medicine

Abstract

Background: Latent mastoiditis is one of the most important issues of modern medicine. This is a pathology that develops in a latent way for a certain period of time without clinical symptoms and demonstrates itself already in later stages in the form of intracranial complications, such as: irreversible decrease in hearing, otogenic meningitis, sigmoid sinus thrombosis etc. Accordingly, timely diagnosis and treatment of latent mastoiditis is the most important issue in modern medicine.

Aim: The aim of our research is to provide detailed coverage of latent mastoiditis in medical community or non-medical circles, to take the advantage of a deep access to the problem that will help us in diagnosing the disease in the early stages and taking appropriate measures for treatment. In its turn, the mentioned will decrease the disability index and the death rate.

Method: For our research, we used the literary sources (manuals, articles) concerning the latent mastoiditis and despite the lack of these sources we managed to set up several tasks, solution of which is the necessary precondition- to prevent complications. According to the progression, the latent mastoiditis is an atypical form of acute mastoiditis, which is not accompanied by earaches, swelling – hyperemia of parotid area or suppuration from ear; moreover, otoscopy frequently shows that the ear external canal and eardrum are within norms. Due to latent development, the latent mastoiditis is named by some authors as a disguised mastoiditis. From the objective examinations only computer tomography provides the ability to diagnose this pathology. Computer tomogram shows destructive changes (unilateral or bilateral) of a mastoid bone, tissue granules, and caries.Treatment due to late diagnosis is usually a surgical procedure, which involves complete purification of the purulent process, granulation and caries. Pathomorphological changes have been studied a little, though the literature covers the issues related to the inflammatory infiltration of mucous membrane and presence of granulating tissues during latent mastoiditis, which in turn emphasizes the effect of surgical method during treatment.

Discussion: On the basis of the existing literature, it may be said that the latent mastoiditis is one of the hazardous pathologies, which appears directly in the form of intracranial complications. This creates a life-threatening situation and increases the disability rate. Accordingly, the timely diagnosis of latent mastoiditis and purposive treatment is one of the most important priorities of modern medicine