Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2020 Feb 3;46(1):15.
doi: 10.1186/s13052-020-0779-7.

Acute dacryocystitis with giant lacrimal abscess: a case report

Maria Di Cicco  1 , Elisabetta Maria Bellino  2 , Andrea Marabotti  3 , Laura Luti  2 , Diego G Peroni  2 , Giampiero I Baroncelli  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Acute dacryocystitis with giant lacrimal abscess: a case report

Maria Di Cicco et al. Ital J Pediatr. .

Abstract

Background: We report a case of a 4-year-old girl with acute dacryocystitis complicated with giant lacrimal abscess who underwent open dacryocystectomy as resolutive surgery.

Case presentation: A 4-year-old previously healthy girl presented to the emergency department with a voluminous and erythematous, fluctuant warm mass localized inferiorly to the medial canthus of the right eye. She had a 2-week history of right inferior eyelid oedema and hyperemia, treated firstly with dexamethasone and netilmicin by eye drops, and then with per oral amoxicillin clavulanate. Ultrasound examination showed a well-circumscribed round lesion filled by anechoic fluid with punctate echoes, confirming a diagnosis of acute dacryocystitis complicated by lacrimal abscess. Parents refused a head CT. Systemic antibiotic treatment was started and, on 5th day from admission, open dacryocystectomy was performed with good esthetical result.

Conclusions: Pediatric acute dacryocystitis is a potentially serious condition, which must be treated with intravenous antibiotic therapy followed by surgery tailored to the clinical history. Even if probing and dacryocystorhinostomy are the most used surgery in adults and children, open dacryocystectomy is a safe and successful option, mainly in severe cases where imaging studies are not available.

Keywords: Dacryocystectomy; Dacryocystorhinostomy; Lacrimal abscess; Nasolacrimal duct obstruction; Pediatric acute dacryocystitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
a Physical examaination at day 1: our patient had a voluminous and erythematous mass localized inferiorly to the medial canthus of the right eye, without purulent drainage or signs of conjunctivitis. b Ultrasound diagnostic aspects of the mass: a well-circumscribed round lesion filled by anechoic fluid is clearly detectable
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Physical examaination at day 6, after open dacryocystectomy was performed
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ali MJ, Joshi SD, Naik MN, Honavar SG. Clinical profile and management outcome of acute dacryocystitis: two decades of experience in a tertiary eye care center. Semin Ophthalmol. 2015;30:118–123. doi: 10.3109/08820538.2013.833269. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Campolattaro BN, Lueder GT, Tychsen L. Spectrum of pediatric dacryocystitis: medical and surgical management of 54 cases. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 1997;34:143–153. - PubMed
    1. Ali MJ. Pediatric acute Dacryocystitis. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015;31:341–347. doi: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000000472. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pfeiffer ML, Hacopian A, Merritt H, Phillips ME, Richani K. Complete vision loss following orbital cellulitis secondary to acute Dacryocystitis. Case Rep Ophthalmol Med. 2016;2016:9630698. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lueder GT. The association of neonatal dacryocystoceles and infantile dacryocystitis with nasolacrimal duct cysts (an American ophthalmological society thesis) Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 2012;110:74–93. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances