The purpose of this report is to present a review of a series of cases of acute and recurrent mastoiditis out of the experience and from the point of view of the surgeon. While no new or startling information will be presented, certain facts concerning the disease will stand out as being of fundamental importance. It is to be noted that these cases represent the experience of a single surgeon. This point is to be emphasized, because the variable personal factors which influence other reports from entire hospital staffs are minimized in a study of this nature.
The cases which I review here are those of a series of patients with acute and acute recurrent mastoiditis operated on at the Bronx Hospital during the years 1932 to 1938. There was a total of 275 cases of acute mastoiditis and 43 cases of acute recurrent mastoiditis, or 318 cases in all.