Epiphora is one of the most common problems in ophthalmological practice, and is caused by dysfunction of the lacrimal pathway. The lacrimal drainage system is a continuous anatomical structure consisting of the lacrimal punctum, inferior and superior canaliculi, common canaliculus, lacrimal sac, and nasolacrimal duct. Lacrimal disease can be medically treated in case of acute inflammation or partial obstruction at the beginning of treatment, but surgical treatment is necessary in most cases. This paper discusses the etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and surgical treatment of various lacrimal diseases through a selective review of the relevant literature. Advances in lacrimal duct surgery can now be performed in such a way that the structural integrity and normal physiological function of the entire efferent lacrimal pathway is preserved.
Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Diagnosis ; Drainage* ; Inflammation ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Lacrimal Duct Obstruction ; Nasolacrimal Duct

PURPOSE: In the present study, a case of recurrent nasolacrimal duct obstruction as ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-cleft syndrome is reported. CASE SUMMARY: An 18-year-old male complained of epiphora in both eyes. By the age of 1, he was diagnosed with nasolacrimal duct obstruction and received left side dacryocystotomy, both sides silicone tube insertion and, right side endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. The general findings showed microdontia and, bilateral ectrodactyly. An irrigation test showed ‘regurgitation without pus’ and Jones test showed ‘negative’ in both sides. Complete obstruction was observed on dacryocystography and the patient underwent endoscopic conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Jones tube at right side and endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy at left side. The chromosome test showed normal findings. CONCLUSIONS: Nasolacrimal duct obstruction in ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-cleft syndrome is usually caused by dysplasia of the nasolacrimal duct and accompanied by dysplasia of lacrimal punctum and canaliculus. Providing proper care for nasolacrimal duct obstruction in ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-cleft syndrome is important. Furthermore, the high failure rate should be considered.
Adolescent ; Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases* ; Male ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Silicon ; Silicones

PURPOSE: This study compares the success rate of silicone tube intubation between nasolacrimal duct obstruction and stenosis according to dacryocystographic findings. METHODS: A total of 115 patients who suffered from epiphora were divided into nasolacrimal duct obstruction and nasolacrimal duct stenosis according to dacryocystographic findings. Silicone tube intubation was performed on every patient. The success rate was estimated based on functional and anatomical success. Functional success was estimated by patient's satisfaction with 'good' or 'fair' at the last visit, and anatomical success was estimated by decrease or normalization of tear meniscus height. Surgery success was defined when anatomical and functional successes were fulfilled. RESULTS: Success rate of silicone tube intubation was 75.76% for patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction based on dacryocystography, and 86.59% for patients with nasolacrimal duct stenosis based on dacryocystography; the difference was not statistically significant (Pearson chi-square test, p = 0.693). CONCLUSIONS: Silicone tube intubation can be considered as a primary treatment option for management of epiphora in nasolacrimal duct stenosis and obstruction.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Intubation ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Silicones

PURPOSE: Endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) has been performed commonly in patients with chronic epiphora due to nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The most frequent cause of DCR failure is obstruction of the osteotomy site due to inflammation and granuloma. We used postoperative nasal steroid spray to suppress inflammation, and growth of granuloma, and to increase the success rate. METHODS: Between November 2002 and August 2003, 48 patients (55 eyes) underwent endonasal DCR in Hanyang University Guri Hospital. The patients were classified into two groups: those who took nasal steroid spray and those who did not. RESULTS: Thirteen cases showed recurrent epiphora. The total success rate of endonasal DCR was 76.4% (42/55). The success rate of the steroid group at 83.9% (26/31), was higher than that of the non-steroid group at 66.7% (16/24), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.20, x2 test). CONCLUSIONS: The nasal steroid spray failed to increase the patency rates in endonasal DCR.
Dacryocystorhinostomy* ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Osteotomy

PURPOSE: We conducted this study to evaluate the role of dacryoscintigraphy in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric patients with epiphora. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 58 patients aged from 2 months to 15 years (mean age 2.8+/-2.3 years), dacryoscintigraphy was performed using a gamma camera with 4 mm pinhole collimator. We correlated symptoms with dacryosicntigraphic findings in all patients. In 37 patients who underwent ophthalmologic procedures, we analyzed the agreements of dacryoscintigraphic findings with the operation. RESULTS: High rates of agreements between epiphora and obstruction on dacryoscintigraphy (69/72, 95.8%), and between scintigraphic obstructive findings and operation sites (44/47, 93.6%) were noted. Nine of fourty-four (20.5%) asymptomatic eyes showed obstructive findings on dacroscintigraphy. CONCLUSION: In pediatric patients with epiphora, dacryoscintigraphy is a useful tool not only in diagnosing nasolacrimal duct obstruction but also in making a decision for therapeutic procedures.
Diagnosis* ; Gamma Cameras ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases* ; Nasolacrimal Duct

PURPOSE: To evaluate the surgical results of endoscopic modified dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). METHODS: The authors operated on patients with upper punctal and canalicular obstruction associated with nasolacrimal duct obstruction and performed endoscopic modified DCR. One end of a lacrimal tube was passed into the nasal cavity through an excision site of the caruncle and internal ostium and the other end of the tube was inserted into the nasal cavity through a patent punctum and the newly created intranasal ostium. The two ends were tied together in the nasal cavity in modified DCR. RESULTS: The primary success rate of modified DCR was 71.0%. Of the four failed cases, one underwent CDCR using Jones tube. CONCLUSIONS: The author's modified DCR may be a suitable alternative method to CDCR or DCR using monocanalicular silicone tube to relieve epiphora in patients with NLD obstruction associated with upper punctal and canalicular obstruction.
Dacryocystorhinostomy* ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Silicones

PURPOSE: To describe a case of nasolacrimal duct obstruction after two-jaw surgery. CASE SUMMARY: A 22-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of epiphora after two-jaw surgery. Orbital CT showed 5 mm of focal soft tissue at the level of the distal nasolacrimal duct. Dacryocystography showed complete obstruction at the nasolacrimal duct level. Thus a nasolacrimal duct obstruction was diagnosed by physical and radiologic examination. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with epiphora who have undergone two-jaw surgery, precise examination and treatment is required in order to exclude nasolacrimal duct obstruction.
Female ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Orbit

Epiphora is usually caused by nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The nasolacrimal duct obstruction is related with facial trauma, other nasal or paranasal sinus diseases, or recurrent dacryocystitis. We describe a case of iatrogenic nasolacrimal duct obstruction that occurred secondary to midfacial autologous fat injection. In our case, mal positioned fat tissue was detected on the dacryocystogram to be present in the lacrimal sac and the nasolacrimal duct. They were safely removed during dacryocystorhinostomy.
Dacryocystitis ; Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Paranasal Sinus Diseases

OBJECTIVES: Many factors influence the outcome of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). One of the most important prognostic factors is the level of obstruction in the lacrimal drainage system. The main objective of this report is to evaluate both the frequency of obstruction by anatomical region of the lacrimal drainage system on dacryocystography (DCG) and the surgical outcome of endoscopic DCR according to the obstruction level. METHODS: A retrospective series of 48 patients (60 eyes) who had undergone endoscopic DCR from January 2005 to November 2007 were enrolled. Preoperative evaluation consisted of a standard examination which included lacrimal irrigation, probing, DCG and osteomeatal unit (OMU) computed tomography. Patients were classified into four groups according to the obstruction level on DCG. Surgical outcome was evaluated postoperatively by subjective improvement of epiphora and patent rhinostomy opening on nasal endoscopic exam. RESULTS: Of 60 eyes, the levels of obstruction were the common canaliculus in 14 eyes (23.3%), the lacrimal sac in 13 eyes (21.7%), the duct-sac junction in 13 eyes (21.7%) and the nasolacrimal duct (NLD) in 20 eyes (33.3%). The ductsac junction obstruction was treated most successfully (100%), followed by NLD obstruction (90%), common canaliculus obstruction (78.6%) and saccal obstruction (69.2%). CONCLUSION: In patients with lacrimal drainage system obstruction, preoperative evaluation of obstruction level using DCG may be helpful for predicting the surgical outcome of endoscopic DCR. The saccal obstruction may have a worse prognosis than the other obstruction levels.
Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Drainage ; Eye ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Lacrimal Duct Obstruction ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To describe the use of botulinum toxin injection of the lacrimal gland for palliative treatment of epiphora secondary to nasolacrimal duct obstruction. METHODS: A prospective non-comparative interventional case series study was designed to include 13 patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Under topical anesthesia botulinum toxin A (1-4unit) was injected into the palpebral lobe of the lacrimal gland via a transconjunctival approach. Patients underwent a Schirmer test and a subjective evaluation of their epiphora symptoms was performed at 0 (baseline), 1, 4 and 12 weeks after injection. RESULTS: Subjective epiphora scores improved in 10 out of the 13 patients (76.9%). Schirmer test results showed objective reduction in tearing from baseline but did not strongly correlate with the subjective epiphora scores. Transient ptosis were experienced by two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Botulinum A toxin injection for palliative treatment of epiphora secondary to nasolacrimal duct obstruction is a simple, effective and safe treatment.
Anesthesia ; Botulinum Toxins* ; Botulinum Toxins, Type A ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases* ; Nasolacrimal Duct* ; Palliative Care* ; Prospective Studies