Acute Mastoiditis in Children Over the Years: A Single Centre Experience

Aim: To present a single-center experience on pediatric acute mastoiditis over a 30-year period and evaluate the evolution of the management of the disease. Methods: Retrospective cohort study using hospital discharge records. All children diagnosed with acute mastoiditis at the University Hospital of Ferrara in the period from January 2009 to December 2023 have been included. The incidence rate of hospitalization was obtained comparing the data collected to the underage population resident in the province of Ferrara by each year. Moreover, these clinical data have been further analyzed and compared with those of previous published studies at our hospital, covering years from 1994 to 2008. Results: 98 children affected by acute mastoiditis (AM), living in the province of Ferrara and admitted to the University Hospital have been included in this study. The median age at diagnosis was 5.56 ± 4.17 years (range 5 months-15 years). Fifteen (15%) patients underwent surgery, of these 11 underwent mastoidectomy and 4 myringotomies. The mean incidence per year was 0.14 ± 0.091 ‰ (range 0.004–0.36). Comparing this data with previous study findings, we could observe a reduction of the cases surgically treated and a reduction of major complications. Also, the percentage of children < 2 years of age that developed AM is reduced over the years. Conclusions: Considering the entire period of 30 years an evolution of the incidence and management of AM has clearly emerged, as per the reduction of the surgically treated cases, the reduced incidence of AM in very young children and the reduction of major complications over the years.