Lacrimal system dacryoliths.

Seventy consecutive patients undergoing dacryocystorhinostomy for chronic dacryocystitis or dacryostenosis were analyzed. Lacrimal sac stones were found in 11 patients for an incidence of 16%. All stones were studied histopathologically and six of these stones demonstrated morphological characteristics compatible with fungus. Two stones were cultured and one of these grew aerobes with the other growing fungi only. A series of nine patients with canalicular dacryoliths was analyzed. All patients were studied clinically and bacteriologically. No fungus was found on any of these cases. Aerobic cultures were positive in two patients. All patients with canalicular stones grew anaerobes with arachnia propionica and fusobacterium species predominating. The treatment for both problems is recognition and removal of the stones.