Tuberculous otomastoiditis

Last revised by Jeremy Jones on 18 Feb 2018

Tuberculous otomastoiditis is an uncommon form of acute otomastoiditis that occurs secondary to tuberculosis infection, although its frequency is increasing as a result of greater population of immunocompromised patients.

Clinical presentation

Classically it is described as presenting with

  • painless chronic otorrhea
  • intact tympanic membrane

Increasingly a wide range of presentations are being recognized including:

Cervical lymph node enlargement is common, especially in the preauricular region, as well as intraparotid and upper cervical regions (see: scrofula).

Pachymeningeal involvement is also frequently seen with potential dural sinus thrombosis.

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