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.
Structure. The lacrimal apparatus consists of the lacrimal gland, which secretes tears, and the series of drainage channels that carry the tears into the nose.The lacrimal gland is about the size of an almond and is nestled within a bony depression in the roof of the orbit at it outer edge.The gland has many lobes, each of which can be considered a small factory for producing tears.he lacrimal gland is about the size of an almond and is nestled within a bony depression in the roof of the orbit at it outer edge. The gland has many lobes, each of which can be considered a small factory for producing tears.