Bickerstaff's encephalitis is a rare inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system, first described by Edwin Bickerstaff in 1951. It may also affect the peripheral nervous system, and has features in common with both Miller Fisher syndrome and GuillainâBarrÃ© syndrome. 1  1 Signs and symptoms.  2 Pathophysiology.
Pathophysiology. Tears are produced in the lacrimal gland and drain through the upper and lower puncta into the canaliculi and then into the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct (see Figure: Anatomy of the lacrimal system. ). Obstruction of tear drainage can lead to stasis and infection.
The lacrimal apparatus consists of the lacrimal glands, which secrete the tears, and the lacrimal sac and ducts, which convey the tears into the nasal cavity. Secretory function of the lacrimal glands declines with age, and many elderly individuals develop âdry eyeâ syndrome.