Acute dacryocystitis secondary to exudative rhinitis.

This report describes the unusual occurrence of acute dacryocystitis secondary to exudative rhinitis. An 18-year-old man with no prior history of tearing or dacryocystitis presented with acute left dacryocystitis. Nasal mucosal edema, lymphoid hyperplasia, and exudate obstructed the ostium of his left nasolacrimal duct. The patient improved rapidly with systemic antibiotic and nasal decongestant drugs. Both the nasolacrimal duct obstruction and dacryocystitis resolved completely within 2 weeks. One year later, serology suggested Epstein-Barr virus as the cause of the rhinitis. Acute intranasal inflammation may obstruct the nasolacrimal duct with potential secondary dacryocystitis. This type of nasolacrimal duct obstruction resolves without sequelae when the rhinitis improves.