Acute otitis media is a common infection in children while acute mastoiditis is the most common intratemporal complication of acute otitis media. Although their symptoms overlap, the treatment of otitis media and complicated acute mastoiditis are different. Therefore, it is important to understand and differentiate these two conditions. Acute Otitis Media: Diagnosis and Treatment Acute otitis media (AOM) is an acute inflammation of the middle ear that is most often observed in children.
Although bulging of the tympanic membrane (TM) is an important sign of AOM, middle ear effusion (MEE) are also considered as signs of AOM. Spontaneous resolution of AOM without any medical intervention is common, occurring in 80 % within 2-3 day. Such expectant observational approach is accepted for most older children with mild disease. However, children under the age of two have been reported to…
