Clinical Recognition and Management of an Atypical Dacryoadenitis

Abstract

Dacryoadenitis, a condition defined as inflammation of the lacrimal gland, has many etiologies; rarely is it associated with a lacrimal gland abscess. In this article, a 7-year-old African American boy was diagnosed with a lacrimal gland abscess secondary to oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA). The incidence of conditions arising from ORSA, a term used interchangeably with methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA), is reportedly on the rise in our population over the past decade. Recognition of atypical pathogens, initiation of timely appropriate-spectrum pharmaceuticals, and conservative follow-up are imperative in treating and preventing potentially vision-threatening sequelae of dacryoadenitis.