Congenital dacryocystocele: prenatal MRI findings

Imaging of Congenital Craniofacial Anomalies and Syndromes

Craniofacial malformation is one of the most commonly encountered birth defects in the prenatal and postnatal periods. Higher-resolution and 3D antenatal ultrasonography and multidetector computed tomographic scan with 3D reformatted images have improved the definition of the soft tissue and bone structures of the craniofacial anatomy and its malformations. Early diagnosis of these conditions is important to make the clinical decisions and more so in understanding the possibility of malformation recurring in the next pregnancy, which is one of the major concerns for the parents and the treating physicians.

Imaging of pediatric nasal masses: A review

Several conditions may present as nasal masses in pediatric age, including congenital and developmental disorders, inflammatory and infectious conditions, neoplastic and neoplastic-like lesions, and other miscellaneous disorders. A confident presurgical diagnosis can be challenging and imaging is often key in the management of these lesions. We provide a pictorial review of pediatric nasal masses and discuss a location-based approach to the diagnosis of these lesions on imaging studies. Acquaintance with the most common pathologies and awareness for its characteristic imaging features can aid the physician in the differential diagnosis. Location and extension of the lesion can be particularly helpful. Midline masses raise suspicion for developmental nasal midline lesions, including frontoethmoidal cephalocele, dermoid/epidermoid cyst, and neuroglial heterotopia. In case of trauma, nasal septum hematoma/abscess should be considered. Developmental or odontogenic cystic lesions and osseous neoplasms and neoplasm-like lesions can originate from the maxilla and palate. Although most nasal tumors show overlapping imaging characteristics, some have suggestive features, such as nasopharyngeal angiofibroma and esthesioneuroblastoma. Malignant tumors tend to be locally aggressive, demonstrating invasive features, bony erosion, intermediate signal on T2-weighted images, and restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging. In certain cases, a definite diagnosis can only be made histologically. Nonetheless, detailed characterization of the lesion is crucial prior to invasive procedures in order to avoid complications.

Is congenital dacryocystocele a benign, self-limited disorder? A review of the literature with four new cases

Congenital dacryocystocele (CD) is a rare disorder about which little is known. A nonsystematic review was performed with an addition of four new cases. Thirty-seven studies were reviewed. The mean gestational age at evaluation was 32 ± 1.09 weeks suggesting that CD is a disorder of late second and third trimester. The mean diameter of dacryocystocele was 7.5 ± 1 mm. The overall associated fetal anomaly rate was 10.7%. In-utero resolution, neonatal resolution, and surgical management was concluded in 62% (n = 108), 29% (n = 52), and 8% (n = 14), respectively. In conclusion, the need for surgical correction and rate of accompanying fetal anomaly was found high.

Endoscopic marsupialization of nasolacrimal duct cysts under topical anaesthesia: 5 years of a single institute experience

OBJECTIVE

To present the outcomes of neonatal nasolacrimal duct cysts treated through endoscopic intranasal marsupialization under topical anaesthesia.

METHODS

A retrospective study of 19 infants diagnosed with congenital nasolacrimal duct cyst, with or without dacryocystocele, diagnosed and treated between March 2015 through March 2020. Data were extracted for descriptive purposes and included: birth weight, main presenting symptom, stertor or dyspnoea, unilateral or bilateral occurrence. Follow-up one month after intervention included recurrence of symptoms, physical examination and fibreoptic naso-endoscopy.

RESULTS

Nineteen infants with intranasal cyst were presented to our department at the age of 1 day. Four-teen infants had unilateral and 5 infants had bilateral intranasal cysts. There were 8 boys and 11 girls. Mean gestational age at birth was 39 weeks, mean birth weight was 3351 g. 42.1% of infants presented with dacryocystocele, 31.5% with stertor, and 26.3% with dyspnoea. 80% of infants with bilateral cysts presented with dyspnoea. Follow up ranged from 6 to 48 months, no recurrence of symptoms was reported.

CONCLUSION

Intranasal endoscopic marsupialization under topical anaesthesia is a successful, safe, low cost procedure for treating neonatal nasolacrimal duct cysts while avoiding general anaesthesia for infants.

Neuroimaging of Adult Lacrimal Drainage System

The lacrimal drainage system (LDS) pathology is frequently encountered in the ophthalmology setting but is rarely discussed in the radiology literature. This is even truer for adult LDS lesions despite increase utilization of computed tomography and magnetic resonance in imaging for diagnosis of LDS pathology. The purpose of this image rich review is to highlight common adult LDS pathologies and introduce the radiologist to rare disease entities affecting this pathology rich anatomical region with emphasis on imaging findings, clinical presentation, and differential generation.

Congenital Dacryocystocele: A Major Review

PURPOSE

To provide a systematic review of the literature on congenital dacryocystoceles (CDCs) and summarize their presentations, investigations, management, and outcomes.

METHODS

The authors performed a PubMed search of all articles published in English on CDCs. Data captured include demographics, clinical presentations, investigations, management modalities, complications, and outcomes. Fourteen major series (10 or more than 10 cases) and 89 isolated case reports/series on CDCs with a collective patient pool of 1,063 were studied in detail. Specific emphasis was laid on addressing the controversial issues including initial conservative versus surgical management and the role of endoscopic evaluation.

RESULTS

Numerous terminologies have been used to describe CDC. Congenital dacryocystoceles are rare variants of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstructions and comprise of 0.1% to 0.3% of all such cases. There is a female predilection (64.2%, 683/1,063) and the mean age at presentation is at 7 days of birth. Initial conservative treatment can be a viable option in the absence of an acute dacryocystitis or a respiratory distress. Endoscopy-assisted probing appears to have better outcomes as compared with the in-office probing. Congenital dacryocystoceles with acute dacryocystitis are preferably managed with intravenous antibiotics and an early probing under endoscopy guidance to avoid missing intranasal cysts. Marsupialization is the preferred technique in the management of intranasal cysts. Silicone intubation was rarely used and has no definitive indications. Dacryocystorhinostomy is very rarely needed in the management of CDC.

CONCLUSIONS

Congenital dacryocystocele is a commonly accepted term and its use should be advocated to enhance uniformity in reporting. Endoscopic evaluation of CDC is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of associated intranasal cysts and enhances the rates of successful outcomes.

Selection of surgical intervention for congenital dacryocystocele

PURPOSE:

To evaluate the surgical intervention and its effect on congenital dacryocystocele.

METHODS:

A total of 531 children with congenital dacryocystocele admitted to the Department of Ophthalmology of Beijing Children's Hospital, Shanghai Aier Eye Hospital, Nanjing Aier Eye Hospital, and the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University between January 2007 and January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS:

A total of 531 patients were followed up for 3-24 months, with an average of 13.3 months. No serious intraoperative complications (such as bleeding and tissue damage) and postoperative complications (bleeding, infection, and hole atresia) were found. We classified the outcomes into three categories based on the signs (overflowing tears and empyema) and objective routine follow-up by endoscopy. Cure indicated that mass, overflow of tears, and breathing difficulties disappeared, and 81.5% cases (433/531) were postoperatively cured. Improvement indicated disappearance of mass, overflow empyema, and the presence of residual tears (due to trocar and tears puncture), and 18.5% cases (98/531) were postoperatively improved. Unhealed indicated overflowing pus and tears, and 0% cases did not heal after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS:

Nasal endoscopic surgery is relatively safe, with high success rate for treatment of congenital dacryocystocele. Systematic training is required to promote the application of nasal endoscopy, so that more ophthalmologists can learn this technique.

[Congenital dacryocystocele: Surgical treatment or routine follow-up?]

INTRODUCTION

Congenital dacryocystoceles are rare and often misunderstood pathologies. Their treatment varies and consists in simple follow-up, lacrimal catheterization or endoscopic surgical drainage, depending on medical teams. The aim of our study was to discuss the place of endoscopic drainage in the treatment of congenital dacryocystocele.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review on 18 cases of congenital dacryocystoceles taken in charge in a tertiary care center between 2009 and 2012.

RESULTS

Thirteen newborns, including five bilateral cases, were taken in charge. The average age was 14.6 days. Six newborns presented with an acute dacryocystitis at the time of diagnosis. No respiratory complications were observed. Spontaneous drainage of the dacryocystocele was observed in 38.8% of the cases, occurring at 22 days of life on average. Endonasal endoscopic drainage was performed in 66.6% of the cases. No recurrence or complication was observed after surgery. After spontaneous drainage, one recurrence was observed. The mean follow-up period of these patients was 8.8 months.

DISCUSSION

Spontaneous drainage is common. Conservative management may therefore be considered in absence of infection. In case of infection and/or persistence of dacryocystocele after 4 weeks of life, endonasal surgical drainage should be considered. Imaging of the facial structure should be performed before any surgical treatment.

Dacryocystocele on prenatal ultrasonography: diagnosis and postnatal outcomes

Purpose:

To report the incidence of dacryocystoceles detected by prenatal ultrasonography (US) and their postnatal outcomes and to determine the factors associated with the postnatal persistence of dacryocystoceles at birth.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the prenatal US database at our institution for the period between January 2012 and December 2013. The medical records of women who had fetuses diagnosed with dacryocystocel larger than 5 mm were reviewed for maternal age, gestational age (GA) at detection, size and side of the dacryocystoceles, delivery, and postnatal information, such as GA at delivery, delivery mode, and gender of the neonate.

Results:

A total of 49 singletons were diagnosed with a dacryocystocele on prenatal US, yielding an overall incidence of 0.43%. The incidence of dacryocystoceles was the highest at the GA of 27 weeks and decreased toward term. Of the 49 fetuses including three of undeter mined gender, 25 (54%) were female. The mean GA at first detection was 31.2 weeks. The dacryocystocele was unilateral in 29 cases, with a mean maximum diameter of 7 mm. Spontaneous resolution at birth was documented in 35 out of 46 neonates (76%), including six with prenatal resolution. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that GA at delivery was a significant predictor of the postnatal persistence of dacryocystoceles (P=0.045).

Conclusion:

The overall incidence of prenatal dacryocystoceles was 0.43%; the incidence was higher in the early third trimester and decreased thereafter. Prenatal dacryocystoceles resolved in 76% of the patients at birth, and the GA at delivery was a significant predictor of postnatal persistence.

Diagnostic imaging features of congenital nose and nasal cavity lesions

A wide variety of congenital nasal lesions can present to clinical attention due to airway obstruction, the presence of a mass, and/or cosmetic deformity, including pyriform aperture stenosis, choanal atresia, nasopharyngeal atresia, arrhinia, congenital germline fusion cysts, cephaloceles, neuroglial heterotopia, nasolacrimal duct mucoceles, hamartomas, supernumerary nostril, and bifid nose. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, which are the main imaging modalities used to characterize these lesions, often serve complementary roles. Familiarity with embryology and anatomy is also essential for recognizing the diagnostic imaging findings related to congenital nasal lesions.

Process of spontaneous resolution in the conservative management of congenital dacryocystocele

Purpose

To assess efficacy of the conservative management of patients with congenital dacryocystocele.

Materials and methods

This was a retrospective case series involving six sides of five infants with a dacryocystocele treated at Osaka Kaisei Hospital, Osaka, Japan. The conservative management protocol consisted of the application of warm compresses and massage over the mass, with the addition of antibiotics when dacryocystitis developed. Patient age at the time of resolution, presence of retrograde outflow of contents of dacryocystoceles from the puncta, and development of dacryocystitis were recorded.

Results

The dacryocystocele was unilateral in four patients and bilateral in one patient. A nasal cyst was present in four patients without respiratory distress. The median patient age at the time of the diagnosis was 7 days (range 2–10 days). Conservative management was selected in all patients, and the dacryocystocele was resolved in all patients at a median patient age of 14.5 days (range 11–105 days). Two sides developed dacryocystitis, which resolved in a few days with antibiotic treatment. In those two sides, rupture of the dacryocystoceles to the common canaliculus with retrograde discharge of the contents from the puncta before the dacryocystitis developed was noted. For the other four treated sides, no such discharge or development of dacryocystitis was observed.

Conclusion

The findings of this study show that a dacryocystocele has a good chance of resolving spontaneously with conservative management and careful observation, and that rupture of the dacryocystocele to the common canaliculus might be an important precursor of dacryocystitis.

Update on imaging techniques in oculoplastics

Imaging is a beneficial aid to the oculoplastic surgeon especially in orbital and lacrimal disorders when the pathology is not visible from outside. It is a powerful tool that may be benefited in not only diagnosis but also management and follow-up. The most common imaging modalities required are CT and MRI, with CT being more frequently ordered by oculoplastic surgeons. Improvements in technology enabled the acquisition times to shorten incredibly. Radiologists can now obtain images with superb resolution, and isolate the site and tissue of interest from other structures with special techniques. Better contrast agents and 3D imaging capabilities make complicated cases easier to identify. Color Doppler imaging is becoming more popular both for research and clinical purposes. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) added so much to the vascular system imaging recently. Although angiography is still the gold standard, new software and techniques rendered MRA as valuable as angiography in most circumstances. Stereotactic navigation, although in use for a long time, recently became the focus of interest for the oculoplastic surgeon especially in orbital decompressions. Improvements in radiology and nuclear medicine techniques of lacrimal drainage system imaging provided more detailed analysis of the system.

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital dacryocystocele

Congenital bilateral dacryocystocele was diagnosed prenatally by ultrasonography in 3 female fetuses at 32.5 weeks gestation. After birth, first baby developed respiratory distress and was treated with endoscopic marsupialization of the cysts; the second baby had no respiratory symptoms and had spontaneous resolution of the cysts without surgery. The last one was expected to have a left dacryocystocele in US but the clinical examination after birth showed a bilateral lesion, with predominance on the right side and underwent an endoscopic marsupialization for nasal obstruction. Prenatal diagnosis with ultrasonography facilitated the education of the mothers and staff and helped minimize the risk of potential complications.

Update on imaging of the lacrimal drainage system

Epiphora is a common problem seen by the ophthalmologist. There are numerous etiologies of a watering eye, and the underlying diagnosis is not always clear. A variety of in-office examination techniques and procedures exist to aid with diagnosis and determination of appropriate therapy, but sometimes the diagnosis remains elusive, or an instituted therapy fails. Lacrimal imaging, particularly in these cases, can be helpful in assessing the function and anatomy of the lacrimal drainage system. This review serves to examine the literature of the last 10 years concerning imaging of the lacrimal drainage system.

Associated signs, demographic characteristics, and management of dacryocystocele in 64 infants

PURPOSE

To describe the incidence of associated infection, respiratory compromise, apparent intranasal cyst, as well as sex, laterality, and age at presentation in 64 infants with dacryocystocele and to assess characteristics associated with successful interventions.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of all patients with dacryocystocele seen at Children's Hospital Boston between 1996 and 2010 was performed. Inclusion criteria were accuracy of diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up at our institution. Interventions were divided into 3 categories: procedures that did not require general anesthesia; simple procedures requiring general anesthesia, such as nasolacrimal probing with or without stent or balloon dilation; and more complex procedures under general anesthesia, specifically, those aided by intranasal endoscopy.

RESULTS

Of the 90 identified patients, 64 met inclusion criteria. The majority of patients were female (63%) and had unilateral involvement (77%). More than one-half of all patients were successfully treated without anesthesia; however, patients presenting with infection were more likely to be treated with a simple procedure under general anesthesia. All patients treated endoscopically had intranasal cysts. Age, sex, and infection did not predict the use of intranasal endoscopy. Bilaterality of dacryocystocele was associated with the use of an endoscopic approach.

CONCLUSIONS

Many infants with dacryocystocoele can be successfully treated without general anesthesia. The incidence of occult intranasal cyst among those treated without endoscopy remains unknown. Patients who were treated under general anesthesia but without the use of nasal endoscopy were more likely to have an infected system, but the clinical significance of this association is not clear.