A case report of exophytic nasal papilloma with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom

Abstract

Background: This study aims to explore a case of exophytic nasal papilloma with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom. Case presentation: A 72-year-old male patient complaining of “a 10-year history of tearing and purulent discharge from the right eye, with subsequent redness and pain in the inner canthus for three days” was initially diagnosed with acute dacryocystitis of the right eye. The patient was treated with anti-inflammatory therapy. However, the redness and swelling of the inner canthus continued to increase. An endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy of the right eye was performed under general anesthesia. A large amount of purulent secretion was drained during the operation. As a result, the swelling of the inner canthus was significantly reduced. A routine intra-operative biopsy of the wall of the lacrimal sac revealed an exophytic nasal papilloma. A second biopsy, 1 week after the surgery, revealed the same result. The patient was advised to undergo a dacryocystectomy once the swelling had subsided. However, the patient was reluctant to undergo this surgery and remains under clinical observation. Conclusion: It is rare for an exophytic nasal papilloma, which is a benign tumor in the lacrimal sac, which has the potential for recurrence and malignant transformation, to manifest with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom. Therefore, this case report could provide a reference for the future clinical diagnosis of this disease.