Dacryocystocele in Adult: A Report of Five Cases

Purpose: To report the clinical findings and the treatments of patients with dacryocystocele, presenting as an uncommon mass in the medial canthal area of adults. Case summary: Five patients, diagnosed with dacryocystocele, complained of epiphora and mucopurulent discharge and were found to have a medial canthal mass. Four of these patients presented with symptoms of acute dacryocystitis. One patient underwent repeated endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (endonasal DCR) with silicone implantation, but the epiphora returned a few months after the treatment. The patient then received external dacryocystorhinostomy (external DCR) with silicone implantation. Two patients experienced recurrence after the first endonasal DCR and, therefore, received repeat endonasal DCR with silicone implantation via a maximum excision of the enlarged lacrimal sac. One patient underwent external DCR with silicone implantation due to acute inflammation with chronic dacryocystitis, and one attempted conservative treatment after refusing any surgical procedure but suffered a relapse. In the surgical cases, no patients experienced recurrence after the final procedure, and they all had a favorable course during the 6 to 14 months of follow-up. Conclusions: Dacryocystocele in adults always requires a surgical procedure. Additional maximum excision of the lateral wall of an enlarged lacrimal sac could be performed to reduce the possibility of recurrence.