Mastoiditis manifests with which sign?

• A. Swelling behind the ear
• B. Ankle swelling
• C. Redness of eyelid
• D. Toothache

Answer: (D)

Mastoiditis comes from an infection in the middle ear spreading to the mastoid air cells, causing local inflammation in the area behind the ear. The sign you’d most likely see is swelling and redness behind the ear with tenderness over the mastoid bone, sometimes with the ear appearing pushed outward. This postauricular involvement reflects the infection’s location in the mastoid air cell system. The other options don’t fit because they describe issues in other areas (ankle swelling is peripheral edema, eyelid redness points to an eye/eyelid problem, and a toothache is not a typical feature of mastoid involvement).