Lacrimal Sac Rhinosporidiosis and Surgical Management by Transnasal Endoscopic Excision: A Case Series.

Objectives: To study the clinical profile and the route of spread of lacrimal sac rhinosporidiosis. To device a standard transnasal endoscopic surgical procedure in the treatment of lacrimal sac rhinosporidiosis.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of a case series on lacrimal sac rhinosporidiosis. Thirteen cases of lacrimal sac rhinosporidiosis reported in our institution from July 2003 to July 2016 were included. Workup included diagnostic nasal endoscopy and lacrimal syringing. All patients underwent transnasal endoscopic excision of rhinosporidiosis.

Results: Lacrimal sac rhinosporidiosis was more prevalent among males and in the 31 to 40 years age group. All patients had a history of bathing in stagnant water bodies. The most common clinical presentation was a doughy swelling medial to the medial canthus. Lacrimal sac rhinosporidiosis invariably presented with involvement of the nasolacrimal duct. Following the endoscopic excision of lacrimal sac rhinosporidiosis, all patients were followed up for a mean period of 16 months, and only one patient had recurrence.

Conclusion: A unique aspect of our case series is that patients presented with features pertaining to isolated lacrimal system involvement rather than sinonasal involvement. Involvement of the nasolacrimal duct and nasal cavity without involvement of the eyes in all cases confirms the retrograde spread of rhinosporidiosis from the nasal cavity into the lacrimal sac via the nasolacrimal duct as the most common route of spread of infection. We recommend that endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, along with nasolacrimal duct excision used for surgical management in our case series with superior results, must become the standard of care in treatment of this condition.

Level Of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 128:2693-2696, 2018.