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What Does "the Right Mastoid Air Cells Are Sclerotic" Mean?

Posted on Sat, 7 Jun 2014

Question: I have a CT scan stating "the right mastoid air cells are sclerotic and may relate to chronic mastoiditis". Is it serious? What needs to be done?

Answered by Dr. Praveen (14 minutes later)

Hi
Chronic mastoiditis is a chronic infection of Middle ear
It should be treated
Get an opinion from ENT surgeon

Thank you

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Praveen (35 minutes later)

By treatment, you mention 'surgeon'. Does that mean it takes surgery to fix it?

Answered by Dr. Praveen (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Recommend Surgery.

Detailed Answer:
Hi dear.Thanks for giving me an opportunity to address your query.

Sclerotic mastoid air cells are nonfunctional (donot help in aeration of the bone which is their normal function) and if left untreated shall result in repeated infection (mastoiditis) which often require antibiotic course.

I were to recommend surgery (modified radical mastoidectomy) to remove these cells an restore the normal function of the mastoid bone.Suggest to consult your ENT for further management.

Do not panic it is not serious.You may take some time and discuss with doctor and plan for surgery.

Hope this answers your query.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Praveen (39 minutes later)

Thank you. I appreciate the explanation and direct answer. I had one doc, no help. Another doc was very helpful and explanatory, which was great , but did not just want to directly want to put her real and necesary opinion out there. She suggested antibiotics; however, from what i have read, it seems like this would delay an inevitable. What do you think about the tests i tead about to make sure there are no problems lurking around...spinal tap to rule out the possibility of spinal ingection, meningitis, sepsis, and so forth in combination with surgery? I read the complications such as nerve damage and a few others i read about, oh yes, like the infection being in the skull and/or brain? I had a q-tip lodged in my ear from about XXXXXXX 2013 to XXXXXXX 2014. The doc disloged it but no antibiotics. Is it reasonable this is the beginning of the infection causing this? He has since passed away, and i hold nothing against him, but i cant think of another source of this. Believe me, an ENT is top on my list tomorrow. Is this the type of doc to proceed with? Thank you for your time. XXXX

Answered by Dr. Praveen (11 hours later)

Brief Answer:
ENT is the right doctor

Detailed Answer:
Hi dear.Thanks for writing back.

Your MD might have given antibiotics to treat current infection and may complete the course.However as discussed you may plan for surgery on a later date.If you donot want to get operated it leads to recurrent infection.

Spinal tap is not required and the possibility of sepsis is very low, in fact not related to mastoid problems.

Nerve damage is one of the complication of surgery but very seen very rarely (almost negligible) in the hands of expert surgeon.

Infection is the skull or brain is not related to this and is part of ageing process.

Q Tips doesnot have any relation to mastoid.

ENT is most appropriate to plan for surgery.

I have denied most of your doubts.These are baseless and donot be disturbed by such reads.Do not get me wrong.Hope you understand.

Hope this answers your query.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj