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Lacrimal and/or salivary gland enlargement is a common symptom leading to referral for rheumatological evaluation. Besides glandular enlargement in Sjögren's syndrome, sarcoidosis, lymphoma and other diseases, the symptom can also be found in IgG4-related disease. This is an increasingly recognized syndrome of unknown etiology comprising a collection of disorders that share specific clinical, serological and pathological features.

Canaliculitis is a relatively rare dacryocanal infection which occurs most unilateral. It can easily be misinterpreted and not sufficiently treated. Typical agents of the canaliculitis are actinomyces, that can cause infections of the hollow spaces with formation of concrements. The clinical courses of two patients are shown. One of them was treated for a dacryocystitis for 3 years and the other one had been referred to the eye hospital for chalazion removal. Only a microbiologic examination including cultivation of the surgically obtained dacryolithes and secretion enabled us to a reliable proof of the actinomyces and to an appropriate therapy for canaliculitis.

Access to microbiological, pharmacokinetic and toxicological information is necessary for useful, controlled application of antibiotics in intraocular and periocular infections. It is important to know whether the antibiotic is effective against ophthalmologically relevant bacteria and if suprathreshold concentrations of the antibiotic can be achieved in the contaminated tissue. In the study presented we investigated the usefulness of cefmenoxime in cases of dacryocystitis. Lacrimal sac tissue--and serum specimens were obtained from 15 patients who underwent dacryocystorhinostomy 0.5 to 13 h after intravenous injection of 25 mg cefmenoxime kg. The usual Toti procedure was performed in 7 patients, whereas the other 8 underwent endonasal surgery. Out of the 15 patients 12 suffered from recurrent dacryocystitis. Before application of the antibiotic a serum control sample was obtained in all patients. The highest cefmenoxime levels in the lacrimal sac (72 mg/kg) were measured 30 min after injection. Thirteen hours after the injection, the cefmenoxime levels were too low to be measured. The levels of cefmenoxime in the lacrimal sac tissue were compared with the minimal inhibitory concentrations for the frequent occurrence of bacteria in lacrimal sac infections.

In many cases antibiotic treatment is indicated; steroids are not always needed. In special cases of uveitis (Behcet's syndrome, sympathetic ophthalmia, anterior uveitis in children with JRA) cytostatic treatment seems justified. Inflammations of the optic disk and nerve require very extensive diagnostic evaluation. Medical treatment is usually limited to steroids, administered systemically and locally; however, its efficacy is still a matter of debate.

Azlocillin, an acylureido penicillin with bactericidal activity, is particularly effective against Pseudomonas, enterococci and Haemophilus influenzae. It is also very active against E. coli, various Proteus species and Bacteroides. Pharmacokinetic studies were carried out in 138 children of various ages (prematures, newborns, infants, schoolchildren) after administering 50-75-100 mg/kg/ body weight azlocillin via the i.v. or i.m. routes; The constant of elimination and the distribution volumes were calculated besides the serum levels. In prematures and newborns, therapeutically effective serum levels were obtained on administering 50 or 100 mg/kg body weight twice daily. Infants and older children required 100 or 75 mg/kg body weight t.i.d. Determination of azlocillin in the bronchial secretion after i.v. doses of 75 mg/kg body weight showed good elimination. Azlocillin was always identified up to the 5th hour post injectionem. Inspite of parenteral administration, azlocillin was identified in different concentrations in the meconium as well. 39 children were treated with azlocillin, 35 of whom had Pseudomonas infection. Very good results were obtained in infections of the urinary tract, wound infections, conjunctivitis, dacryocystitis and in one case of meningitis. Bronchopulmonary diseases did not take an equally good course, but in these cases the conditions had not been favourable. No serious side effects were revealed by testing several laboratory parameters.

A young man developed a solid tumor of the lower eyelid, which histological studies showed to be a paraffinoma. Two years before the first manifestation a dacryocystitis had been treated by probing and injection of antibiotic ointment into the lacrimal drainage system. Since paraffin is a constituent of most ointments, the possibility of a granulomatous reaction should be considered if the ointment containing paraffin is introduced into the subcutaneous tissue.