Eye
Lacrimal duct / gland
Inflammatory lesions of lacrimal gland and related structures
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Last author update: 1 February 2014
Last staff update: 28 June 2024
Copyright: 2004-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Inflammatory lesions lacrimal gland
Table of Contents
Dacryoadenitis | Dacryocystitis / canaliculitis | Dacryolithiasis | Mikulicz diseaseCite this page: Pernick N. Inflammatory lesions of lacrimal gland and related structures. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/eyeinflammatorylesionslacrimal.html. Accessed August 15th, 2025.
Dacryoadenitis
- Inflammation of lacrimal gland due to obstruction of lacrimal ducts by dacryoliths
Dacryocystitis / canaliculitis
- Often obscure origin; may be due to inflammatory spread from nose or conjunctiva
- Acute or chronic inflammation with suppurative, granulomatous or necrotizing features
- Fistulous tracts may form to skin below eyelid near base of nose
- Canaliculitis: inflammation of lacrimal duct
- Dacryocystitis: inflammation of lacrimal sac
- Acute: ducts filled with purulent exudate
- Chronic: lacrimal canal narrows due to inflammatory thickening, epithelial hyperplasia
Dacryolithiasis
Mikulicz disease
- Mikulicz disease
- Lymphocytic infiltration and formation of lymphoepithelial lesions
- Most common cause of Mikulicz syndrome
- Mikulicz syndrome
- Chronic dacryoadenitis associated with enlargement of salivary glands
- Causes include:
- Mikulicz disease
- Sarcoidosis
- Tuberculosis
- Syphilis
- Mumps
- Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Graves disease
- Sjögren syndrome
- Usually postmenopausal women
- Mikulicz disease, with failure of lacrimal and conjunctival secretions and keratoconjunctivitis sicca
