Congenital dacryocystocele: is there a familial predisposition?

Congenital impatency of the nasolacrimal drainage system is relatively common. Dacryocystocele formation is an infrequent variant of such congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO). Congenital dacryocystocele typically manifests as a mass in the medial canthal region; alternatively the nasolacrimal expansion may present solely intranasally as a nasolacrimal duct cyst. Despite the relative frequency of congenital NLDO, there have been few reported familial cases. We report here two female siblings with congenital dacryocystocele, and review the etiology and potential inherited predisposition to this comparatively rare entity.