Prevotella Denticola Dacryocystitis and Abscess in a Child with Goldenhar Syndrome

Dacryocystitis is the inflammation of the nasolacrimal sac and is due to obstruction of the nasolacrimal system or lacrimal stagnation, leading to favorable environments for infection. Any disruptions to the nasolacrimal pathway can increase the risk of dacryocystitis. Here is a unique case of Prevotella denticola dacryocystitis that progressed into cellulitis and abscess formation in a 7-year-old female with a medical history of Goldenhar syndrome, recurrent dacryocystitis, and periodontal disease. The patient presented with standard dacryocystitis symptoms—tenderness to palpation, erythema, and edema to the medial canthus. The patient was treated empirically with vancomycin, ceftriaxone, and clindamycin. She was discharged home on clindamycin with symptomatic improvement and plans for dacryocystorhinostomy. Goldenhar syndrome is a rare congenital craniofacial malformation disorder due to aberrant morphogenesis in structures derived from the first and second branchial arches. P. denticola is an anaerobic gram-negative bacillus significant to the oral microbiome. There is currently limited research suggesting the relationship between Goldenhar syndrome and dacryocystitis complicated by Prevotella denticola. Based on the patient’s medical history, we predict that her complex presentation was secondary to the dissemination of Prevotella from her oral cavity. This case report emphasizes the importance of gram-negative anaerobic coverage in complicated dacryocystitis in patients with nasolacrimal defects.