EyeRounds Online Atlas of Ophthalmology

Contributor: Jordan M. Graff, MD, University of Iowa

Category: Oculoplastics

Dacryocystitis

The tense, yellow abscess within the lacrimal system can be seen beneath the skin in this patient.

In this case, CT scan revealed a concurrent (or resultant) orbital cellulitis. IV antibiotics were immediately started. While the orbital cellulitis without any abscess can often be treated with IV antibiotics in children, the dacryocystitis component will almost always require surgical management. This patient was taken to the O.R. for an I&D of the lacrimal abscess with excellent resolution post-operatively.

The patient was started on broad-spectrum IV antibiotics and the infection began to receed from the margins marked on his skin. Surgical treatement of the dacryocystitis hereafter was a success.

Ophthalmic Atlas Images by EyeRounds.org, The University of Iowa are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.