Introduction: Chronic otomastoiditis causes pain, otorrhea, and hearing loss resulting from the growth of tissue within the normally hollow mastoid cavity.

Objectives: In this report, we used a lipidomics approach to profile major mastoid bone and tissue lipids from patients with and without otomastoiditis.

Methods: The bone dust created during mastoidectomy, as well as the mastoid tissue, was analyzed from seven patients. Bone dust was also collected and analyzed in an additional four otologic cases (parotidectomy requiring mastoidectomy). Samples were subjected to a modified Bligh/Dyer lipid extraction, then high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), combined gas chromatography/electron impact-mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS), and flow-injection/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (FI/ESI-MSMS). Data were analyzed for identification and profiling of major lipid components.

Results: HPTLC revealed the presence of various lipid classes, including phosphatidylcholines, cholesterol, and triacylglycerols. GC/EI-MS analysis revealed the presence of cholesterol and several fatty acids. FI/ESI-MSMS analysis revealed a host of phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, and cholesteryl esters.

Conclusion: We used a lipidomics approach to develop an efficient (both in time and tissue amount) methodology for analysis of these tissues, identify the most abundant and common lipid species, and create a base of knowledge from which more focused endeavors in biomarker discovery can emerge. In an effort toward improved patient categorization and individualized intervention, the ultimate goal of this work is to correlate these lipid molecules to disease state and progression. This is the first reported study of its kind on these tissues.