TB Research

A rare presentation of a paediatric patient with acute otomastoiditis media caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis resulting in intracranial complications

Jayakody N, Faoury M, Hellier W, Ismail-Koch H, Patel S, Burgess A

Journal of surgical case reports · 2019-04

Abstract

Mastoiditis caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) has an extremely low incidence in paediatric patients and intracranial complications are even rarer. We report the case of a 2-year-old Caucasian male who presented to a tertiary ENT centre with a left sided mastoid swelling and drowsiness after having been treated unsuccessfully for unresolving ear pain and discharge for 6 weeks. He was subsequently found to have mastoiditis with intracranial complications caused by mycobacterium TB. This report aims to increase awareness of TB as a potential cause of chronic unresolving ear pain in the paediatric age group, as well as the importance of multidisciplinary team management.