Antenatal sonographic diagnosis of a dacryocystocele

✍ Scribed by Dr. Geraldine Walsh; Paul A. Dubbins

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 394 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.1870220710

✦ Synopsis

Antenatal sonography accurately identifies structural abnormalities of the fetal face including cyclopia, hemangiomata, and facial

We describe the sonographic and clinical features of a dacryocystocele from the time of its initial imaging at 36 weeks, menstrual age (MA), through to its complete resolution in early infancy.

CASE REPORT

A 17-year-old gravida 3, para 0 woman presented at 36 weeks, MA, having moved to this area. Routine ultrasonography earlier in the pregnancy at another center had been normal. A repeat examination was performed in our department to resolve a scan-clinical fetal age discrepancy. This revealed a hypoechoic mass measuring 9 mm in diameter medial to the right orbit (Figure 1). The globes were symmetrical and appeared normal, and no intracranial abnormality was identified.

At 41 weeks, a female infant weighing 3.23 kg was born by spontaneous vaginal delivery. Physical examination revealed a blue-gray cystic swelling at the medial canthus of the right eye. Ultrasonography at 48 hours showed bilateral cystic areas, 11 mm in diameter on the right and 5 mm in diameter on the left, in the region of the lacrimal apparatus abutting onto the ethmoid air cells (Figure 2). Cranial ultrasound was normal and facial x-rays showed soft-tissue swelling over both orbits, that on the right side more marked (Figure 3). There was no associated bony abnormality. Clinically the right-sided swelling resolved at 1 week. The lesions were much less ap--