Bilateral dacryocystitis complicated by unilateral retrobulbar abscess in a five-week-old infant

ABSTRACT

Retrobulbar orbital abscess in children is a rare condition, and diagnosis and management can be challenging. We report the case of a 5-week-old male infant with retrobulbar orbital abscess secondary to acute dacryocystitis developed from a dacryocystocele. The patient presented with respiratory difficulty, sepsis and progressive clinical findings suggestive of post-septal cellulitis. He was successfully treated with endonasal incision of subturbinate dacryocystoceles followed by probing of the lacrimal ducts. Congenital dacryocystocele must be considered a differential diagnosis in infants with respiratory difficulty and may develop into a vision- and life-threatening condition requiring immediate intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• Congenital dacryocystocele
• infant
• pediatric acute dacryocystitis
• periorbital cellulitis
• retrobulbar abscess

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.