What complications can occur when mastoiditis is allowed to advance?

If left untreated, mastoiditis can lead to several serious complications, including:

- Intracranial infections: The infection can spread to the brain and meninges, causing meningitis, encephalitis, or epidural abscess.

- Facial nerve palsy: The facial nerve runs through the mastoid bone, and inflammation can damage the nerve, leading to facial paralysis.

- Hearing loss: Damage to the structures of the middle ear can result in permanent hearing loss.

- Blood clots: Infection can cause blood clots to form in the blood vessels supplying the brain, leading to a stroke.

- Sepsis: Mastoiditis can sometimes lead to systemic sepsis, a life-threatening condition in which bacteria enter the bloodstream and cause widespread inflammation and organ dysfunction.