title: Bilateral nasolabial cysts associated with recurrent dacryocystitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nasolabial cysts are rare, nonodontogenic, soft-tissue, developmental cysts occurring inferior to the nasal alar region. They are thought to arise from remnants of the nasolacrimal ducts and they are frequently asymptomatic. We report a rare case of bilateral nasolabial cysts accompanied by bilateral chronic dacryocystitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 48-year-old woman suffering from bilateral chronic dacryocystitis was referred to our department for endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy. She had undergone external dacryocystorhinostomy on the left side a few years earlier. Physical examination and computed tomography scan revealed nasolabial cysts bilaterally inferior to the nasal alar region. The cysts were removed via a sublabial approach and endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy was performed on the right side. Ten months after surgery, the patient was asymptomatic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There may be a correlation, due to embryological reasons, between the presence of nasolabial cysts and the presence of chronic dacryocystitis. Both can be corrected surgically, under the same anaesthesia, without visible scar formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. dkyrmiz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Dionysios E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kyrmizakis
authors.forename: Vassilios A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Lachanas
authors.forename: Antonios A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Benakis
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Velegrakis
authors.forename: Ioannis M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Aslanides
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003607:Dacryocystitis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008047:Lip Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009631:Nonodontogenic Cysts / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome