Purpose: To report acute dacryocystitis with preseptal cellulitis as the presenting sign of leukemia in a child.
Methods: Case report and literature review.
Results: During the initial evaluation of a 17-month-old child with epiphora, left lower eyelid swelling, and a tender left medial canthal mass, a complete blood cell count demonstrated pancytopenia. Bone marrow biopsy disclosed replacement of normal cellular architecture with a dense infiltrate of leukocyte blast forms. DNA analysis disclosed a translocation between chromosome 10 and 11, consistent with the diagnosis of nonlymphocytic leukemia. Although the adjacent lower eyelid cellulitis responded to intravenous antibiotics, lacrimal sac distention decreased only after chemotherapy was initiated.
Conclusions: Dacryocystitis with preseptal cellulitis can be a presenting sign of leukemia. This blood malignancy should be considered in patients whose leukocyte counts do not correlate with their clinical presentation.