Management of congenital dacryocystocele: report of 3 clinical cases

This case study describes three newborns referred to our otolaryngologic service for investigating and treating a cystic dilatation of the lacrimal duct. These dilatations corresponded to unilateral or bilateral dacryocystoceles, with or without complications. The first newborn exhibited respiratory distress at birth and received early surgery and endoscopic marsupialization of intranasal and bilateral cysts. The second newborn did not show any signs of complications, and after conservative treatment for a week, the cyst spontaneously resolved. The third newborn was diagnosed in utero with ultrasonography, and the cyst resolved spontaneously during childbirth. These cases provided an opportunity to review the pathophysiology of this rare congenital lacrimal anomaly and to note responses to different therapeutic approaches. Indeed, these three cases illustrated three different management approaches, and allowed us to address the issue of prenatal diagnosis.