Surgical puncture of the mastoid process and subsequent paracentesis of mastoid cells.
Inflammation of the mastoid sinuses, usually as a result of the spread of infection from acute otitis media (OM). The disease is relatively rare, now that effective antibiotics for otitis media are generally available. The causative organisms usually are the same as those that cause OM: streptococcal species, Haemophilus influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus, although on some occasions mycobacteria or fungi may cause the disease.