Improvement In Epiphora Research Articles

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of lacrimal gland botulinum toxin injection in functional versus non-functional epiphora

Objective To determine whether botulinum toxin is effective and safe for the treatment of epiphora, and to compare its utility in functional versus non-functional epiphora using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Materials and Methods Patients were divided into two groups (functional and non-functional epiphora) according to the presence of lacrimal drainage obstruction. All patients were injected with 2.5 units of botulinum toxin into the palpebral lobe of the lacrimal gland, and improvement in epiphora and quality of life were assessed both objectively and subjectively using Schirmer’s I test, indoor and outdoor Munk scores, TEARS score, watery eye quality of life score, and tear meniscus measurements at pre-injection, and 1, 3, and 6 months post-injection. Functional and non-functional epiphora groups were compared. Results Botulinum toxin was injected into 72 lacrimal glands of 65 patients with functional and non-functional epiphora. In both the functional and non-functional epiphora groups, the mean Schirmer’s I test value, indoor and outdoor Munk scores, TEARS score, watery eye quality of life score, tear meniscus height, depth, and area values improved significantly at 1, 3, and 6 months after injection compared with pre-injection values (p < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in mean Schirmer’s I test, tear meniscus height, depth, and area values between the functional and non-functional epiphora groups at 1, 3, and 6 months after botulinum toxin injection (p < 0.05). In the functional epiphora group, a greater proportion of patients reported improvement than in the non-functional group. All complications were minor and resolved within 2 weeks after the injection. Conclusion Botulinum toxin injection into the lacrimal glands of patients with functional and non-functional epiphora was a simple, effective, and safe treatment. In addition to qualitative methods, quantitative methods, such as tear meniscus measurement, provided direct evidence that symptomatic improvement occurred more in those with functional versus non-functional epiphora after botulinum toxin injection.

Radiation-Induced Acquired Lacrimal Drainage Obstructions: Management and Outcomes

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the management and outcomes of patients with radiation-induced acquired lacrimal duct obstructions (RALDO). Methods A retrospective chart review from July 2018 to December 2023 of all cases undergoing surgical intervention for RALDO by a single surgeon. Data collected included demographics, tumor type and anatomic location, radiation treatment (including radiation type, dosage, and duration), interval between radiation and reported onset of epiphora, oculoplastic clinical examination, management, and outcomes. Lacrimal irrigation was done prior to surgery in all patients. Results Seventeen eyes of 16 patients with a mean age at presentation of 63.3 years and over half the patients being females (56.3%) were included in the study. The right lacrimal drainage system (LDS) was involved in 4 (23.6%), and the left side was involved in 13 (76.4%). The mean onset of epiphora symptoms after radiation was 9.5 months. The underlying tumor type were intraocular having uveal melanoma in four, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in 2, basal cell carcinoma involving forehead and nose in one and sino-nasal indications present in 8 patients. One patient had metastasis to the orbit and eyelid. Four patients (25%) received external beam radiotherapy (XRT) (one case had bilateral LDS involvement), 6 patients (37.5%) received intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), 5 patients (31.25%) received proton beam irradiation (PBI), and one (6.25%) received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Mean radiation dosage was 61.31 Gy in 15 patients (data was missing in 1 patient). Punctum was effaced in 3, canalicular stenosis in 1, proximal canalicular obstruction in 8, distal canalicular obstruction in 2, and nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) in 3. Treatment was based on the site and nature of obstruction and varied from minimally invasive techniques like serial dilatation with bicanalicular silicone tube or Guibor tube to surgical interventions like dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) or conjunctivo-dacryocystorhinostomy (C-DCR). Only 10% with primary lacrimal intubation had good response. Of the six cases that underwent C-DCR with Jones tube either as primary or secondary procedure, four cases showed improvement in epiphora (67%). Three with NLDO did well after external DCR. In total, four patients had a secondary procedure after the first failed while 7 with failed initial surgery elected against secondary surgery. The mean follow-up was 9.6 months (range 2–24 months). Conclusions In patients with RALDO, salvage treatment with silicone lacrimal intubation has poor results, CDCR with Jones tube has better results, although imperfect and in cases with NLDO, DCR has good outcomes.

Improvement in Epiphora Using TEARS Grading Following Surgical Treatment of Meibomian Gland Inversion in Patients With Facial Nerve Palsy.

To assess epiphora outcomes using the TEARS grading score in patients with concomitant meibomian gland inversion (MGI) and facial nerve palsy (FNP) undergoing correction of MGI. Retrospective, 5-year, noncomparative, single-center study of patients with MGI and FNP, treated with MGI correction, under the supervision of a single surgeon. A validated "TEAR" score was used to assess changes in epiphora. Ten patients with FNP, MGI, and epiphora were analyzed from a group of 160 patients with FNP who underwent MGI surgery between 2017 and 2022. The mean age at surgery was 50 years (range, 13-76 years). T, E, and A scores significantly improved (p < 0.05). Eighty percent of patients saw a reduction in tearing frequency (T), with 60% gaining ≥ 2-grade improvement. Improvements in clinical effects (E) and activity limitation (A) were seen in 80% of patients, with 40% and 50% gaining ≥ 2-grade improvement, respectively. R scores (related to reflex tearing) improved by 60%, with 40% seeing ≥ 2-grade improvement. Nine patients (90%) improved symptomatically with an average improvement "S" score of 65% over a mean follow-up period of 30 months. All patients demonstrated restoration of the normal anatomical position of the meibomian glands. MGI can cause epiphora in patients with FNP and may explain cases where symptoms persist despite standard surgical intervention. This study provides proof of concept that MGI correction can improve epiphora and that identifying MGI may be considered a critical step in the treatment algorithm for epiphora in patients with FNP.

Caruncle and plica hypertrophy causing mechanical secondary acquired lacrimal duct obstruction: – SALDO update study (SUP) – paper I

ABSTRACT Purpose To exclusively report the clinical category of mechanical secondary acquired lacrimal duct obstruction (SALDO) secondary to the caruncle and plica hypertrophy. Methods Prospective interventional case series involving 10 consecutive eyes with megalocaruncle and plica hypertrophy were enrolled in the study. All patients presented with epiphora secondary to a demonstratable mechanical obstruction of the puncta. All patients underwent high magnification slit-lamp photography and Fourier-domain ocular coherence tomography scans (FD-OCT) of the tear meniscus height (TMH) pre- and post-operatively at 1-month and 3-months. Caruncle and plica size, position, and their relationship to the puncta were noted. All patients underwent partial carunculectomy. Primary outcome measures were demonstrable resolution of the mechanical obstruction of the puncta and the reduction in the tear meniscus height. The secondary outcome measure was the subjective improvement of the epiphora. Results The mean age of the patients was 67 years (range: 63–72 years). The average TMH was 843.1 (range: 345–2049) microns pre-operatively and 195.1(91–379) microns at 1-month follow-up. All patients reported significant subjective improvement in epiphora at 6-months follow-up. One patient had bilateral granuloma at the surgical site at two weeks and was managed by simple excision and topical tapering steroids. Histopathology revealed hyperplastic epithelium with goblet cells with chronic inflammatory cells in the sub-epithelial region and the stroma. Conclusion The role of the caruncle in the causation of mechanical SALDO needs to be carefully assessed in patients beyond the sixth decade. Excellent objective and subjective outcomes can be achieved by a partial carunculectomy and plica semilunaris excision.

Preliminary study on the efficacy of lacrimal duct reconstruction with pedicled conjunctival flap in the treatment of severe lacrimal canalicular obstruction with conjunctivochalasis.

To determine the efficacy and safety of pedicled conjunctival lacrimal duct reconstruction in the treatment of severe obstruction of superior and inferior lacrimal canaliculi with conjunctivochalasis. This study was performed as a retrospective analysis of patients who received conjunctival dacryocystorhinostomy with pedicled conjunctival flap reconstruction combined with tube intubation due to severe superior and inferior lacrimal canalicular obstruction with conjunctivochalasis from January 2019 to October 2019. The clinical data included the degree of preoperative epiphora and postoperative relief, preoperative examination of lacrimal duct computed tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy, postoperative evaluation of lacrimal duct function by chloramphenicol taste and fluorescein dye disappearance test, etc. Syringing was carried out to determine the reconstruction and patency of the lacrimal duct. All 9 patients (9 eyes) had severe canalicular obstruction with conjunctivochalasis. The patients included 4 males and 5 females aged between 47-65y with an average age of 52.2±6.7y. At 3mo follow-up, the tube was removed and the patients were followed for a further 3mo. After tube removal, 6 patients showed no epiphora. These patients also had positive chloramphenicol tastes and normal fluorescein dye disappearance test results. Two patientshad epiphora. Also, syringing showed partial patency of the reconstructed lacrimal duct. One patient had no improvement in epiphora with negative chloramphenicol taste and fluorescein dye disappearance test results and obstruction of the reconstructed lacrimal duct. The total effective rate of the operation was 8/9, with no serious complications. Pedicled conjunctival lacrimal duct reconstruction conjunctival dacryocystorhinostomy is safe and effective for superior and inferior canalicular obstruction with conjunctivochalasis.

Outcomes of intubation and endoscopic DCR in functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

To ascertain the success of lacrimal intubation and DCR in alleviating epiphora due to functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction (FNLDO). Consecutive adult patients with epiphora attending a tertiary lacrimal clinic from May 2010 to February 2021 were reviewed to identify cases with FNLDO. FNLDO was defined as epiphora with the exclusion of alternate causes of watering on clinical examination, patent lacrimal syringing, normal DCG, and post-sac delay on DSG. Epiphora resolution and improvement rates in FNLDO were compared between lacrimal intubation and endo-DCR. 23 endo-DCRs (20 patients, 65% females, mean age 68.9±12.2) and 41 intubations (29 patients, 61.2% females, mean age 65.0±14.1) performed in FNLDO were included. Resolution of epiphora was achieved in 15 of the DCR procedures (median follow-up 9 months) compared to 14 of intubations (median follow-up 10 months). Significant epiphora improvement (i.e., either improvement or resolution) was noted in 21 DCRs and 24 intubations. Seven patients undergoing intubation as the primary procedure had endo-DCR performed following the intubation. Among respondents to a phone questionnaire, 53.8% who had endo-DCR (median 69 months) and 50% that had intubation (median 28 months) reported significant improvement in epiphora. Improvement in epiphora due to FNLDO was approximately 59% in intubations, while the success of endo-DCR was higher (91%). The long-term results of these interventions warrant further investigation.

A glued technique of external dacryocystorhinostomy.

Purpose:Fibrin glue was used for anastomosis of lacrimal sac and nasal mucosal flaps and was compared with the conventional suture technique in external dacryocystorhinostomy.Methods:A prospective interventional randomized control study in which 50 consecutive patients of primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) were equally allocated into two groups. The case group underwent glued technique of external dacryocystorhinostomy (Ext DCR) in which fibrin glue was used for the apposition of the anterior lacrimal sac and nasal mucosal flaps. In the control group, conventional technique of Ext DCR was used to suture the flaps. Functional success was assessed by improvement in epiphora and fluorescein dye disappearance test (FDDT), whereas anatomical success was assessed by lacrimal irrigation and endoscopic view of the osteotomy site.Results:The anatomical success in both the groups was 92%, whereas the functional success was 92% in the case group and 88% in the control group. The difference in the success rates between the two groups was statistically non-significant.Conclusion:Glued technique of Ext DCR is a simple and easy alternative to suturing of the flaps. Though the final outcome was comparable in both the groups, glue can be especially useful in uncooperative cases, in cases of excessive bleeding, or in situations where the flaps are very thin or have become friable.

Comparison of external dacryocystorhinostomy versus injection botulinum toxin in the management of functional epiphora

To compare the efficacy of external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) and botulinum toxin-A in the management of functional epiphora.A prospective, comparative, interventional study included 45 patients with functional epiphora out of which 20 patients had undergone external dacryocystorhinostomy and 25 patients received 5 units of injection botulinum toxin in the palpebral lobe of lacrimal gland as per the patient’s preference. All patients underwent syringing and fluorescein dye disappearance testing before the procedure. Epiphora was graded subjectively with Munk scores obtained before and after intervention. Duration of side effects and severity were also noted.This study showed functional epiphora common in elderly age group. Female constitued of 71.11% and male 28.89 % with female: male ratio of 2.4:1. Left eye (42.22%) predominantly involved. The overall success rate at 6 months after surgery for external DCR was 95% and that of injection botulinum was 91.17%. The overall success rate in both the group was not statistically significant(p&amp;#62;0.05%). Improvement in epiphora graded by Munk score was statistically significant after intervention in both the groups(p&amp;#60;0.05%). This study showed injection Botulinum toxin can be considered as an alternative management in case of functional epiphora for patient who do not want to undergo surgical intervention and for those with co-morbid conditions with high risk for surgical intervention like DCR.

Canalicular laceration repair using a self-retaining, bicanalicular, hydrophilic nasolacrimal stent

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate outcomes of primary eyelid and canalicular laceration repair using a self-retaining bicanalicular hydrophilic nasolacrimal stent. Methods: This study is a retrospective review of seven patients with canalicular laceration primarily repaired with a self-retaining bicanalicular nasolacrimal stent within 72 hours of initial injury. After lacrimal intubation, repair was performed by reapproximation of the lacerated tissues. Data collection included ophthalmic examination, mechanism of injury, involvement of upper/lower/common canaliculi, symptoms of epiphora, operative time, stent extrusion and canalicular irrigation. Results: Seven patients with monocanalicular laceration were repaired using the self-retaining bicanalicular nasolacrimal stent. The stent was left in place an average of 5 months. The average operative time was 29.3 minutes. None of the stents extruded prior to removal. After 5 months, the stent was removed successfully without difficulty. All patients reported subjective improvement in epiphora, with complete resolution of symptoms. Anatomic success was confirmed with irrigation in all cases. There were no complications associated with usage of the self-retaining bicanalicular nasolacrimal stent. Conclusions: Primary repair of canalicular lacerations can be successfully performed with a self-retaining bicanalicular nasolacrimal stent. This stent has several advantages, including potentially faster operative times, no need for intranasal fixation or retrieval, easier intubation in the lacrimal system, and improved anatomic reapproximation of lacerated tissues.

Postoperative Bioresorbable Chitosan-Based Dressing for Endoscopic Middle Meatal Dacryocystorhinostomy With Balloon Dilation.

To evaluate the improvement in epiphora and need for surgical revision in patients with acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction following balloon-assisted, middle meatal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with chitosan-based dressing versus bioresorbable polyurethane packing versus no packing. This was a retrospective study of consecutive adult patients seen from 2015 to 2018 with follow-up evaluation of epiphora at least 3 months after balloon-assisted, middle meatal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. Patients with a history of prior punctoplasty, septoplasty, sinus surgery, or dacryocystorhinostomy of any kind were excluded. Those meeting criteria were stratified by postoperative hemostatic intervention: no packing, bioresorbable packing, and chitosan-based dressing (groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Procedural outcomes were graded as successes or failures based on subjective report and anatomical findings at most recent visit within an 18-month postoperative window. Instances of recommendation for revision surgery were also recorded. Forty-three cases (36 patients) met the abovementioned criteria. Groups 1, 2, and 3 comprised 12, 17, and 14 cases each, respectively. Average patient age was 55.3 years old, and average duration of follow-up was 6.7 months. Significant variation in outcomes was detected across the 3 groups (P = .0495), particularly between groups 1 and 3 (P = .033). Use of chitosan-based dressing trended toward reduced rates of recommendation for surgical revision (P = .203, P = .113). Use of chitosan-based dressing after endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy was associated with improved subjective and anatomical outcomes. It may also contribute to less frequent need for revision surgery. Further study in a larger prospective trial is recommended.

To study efficacy and safety of probing with Mitomycin-c in adults with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction

Purpose: The study was conducted to study the effect of low dose of Mitomycin-C (0.2 mg/ml) as an adjunct for nasolacrimal duct probing to treat adults with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction and to study the side effects of MMC during probing. Material and methods: It was a prospective, comparative, randomised interventional study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 20 each. Cases (20 eyes) with primary acquired NLD obstruction were treated with probing and intraoperative Mitomycin-C and controls (20 eyes) with primary acquired NLD obstruction were treated with only probing. At the end of 4 months, subjective improvement in epiphora and patency on syringing were evaluated. Results: On follow up at 4 months, 35% cases showed mild improvement compared to 25% of controls. Moderate improvement was seen in 10% of cases compared to 5% of controls. Complete improvement was seen in 15% of cases compared to 0% of controls. The overall subjective improvement was seen in 60% of cases compared to 30% of controls. On syringing, NLD was found patent in 15% of cases compared to 5% among controls at 4 months follow up. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the efficacy of probing with MMC in reducing the symptoms of epiphora with fewer side effects in patients with NLDO during 4 months of follow-up.

Long-term outcomes after endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy without mucosal flap preservation.

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (eDCR) techniques provide comparable results to conventional external techniques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term outcomes after powered endoscopic DCR without preservation of mucosal flaps for the management of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction performed by a single surgical team. A retrospective review was performed of patients with epiphora secondary to acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction who underwent eDCR without mucosal flap preservation from May 2003 to April 2013 at a tertiary referral medical center. Main outcome measures were subjective improvement in epiphora and assessment of anatomic patency based on lacrimal irrigation and endoscopic evaluation. Eighty patients (69 primary and 11 revision) totaling 103 procedures (87 primary, 16 revision) were available for analysis at a mean follow-up of 28.7 (range 6-114) months. At the most recent follow-up, 92 of 103 (89.3%) procedures had complete resolution of epiphora, and 10 of 103 procedures achieved mild intermittent epiphora. Complete resolution of epiphora was noted in 93.1% (81 of 87) of primary procedures and 68.8% (11 of 16) of revision procedures. Objective anatomic patency was confirmed in 98% (101 of 103). A revision procedure was required in 5.8% (6 of 103). Outcomes of powered eDCR without the preservation of mucosal flaps compare favorably to previously reported results in the literature. These long-term results suggest that mucosal flap preservation is not required to achieve successful outcomes with eDCR. 4 Laryngoscope, 130:12-17, 2020.

The kissing puncta: an under-reported and stubborn cause of epiphora.

'Kissing puncta' (KP) or punctal apposition is an anatomical phenomenon sparsely reported in the English literature. We describe our experience of managing chronic epiphora in patients with punctal apposition. A retrospective audit of five patients (nine eyes) with KP associated with epiphora. Data including: presenting symptoms, physical signs and surgical outcomes were collected. Five patients aged between 66 and 77 years were reviewed. Common clinical features were: chronic epiphora, involutional eyelid laxity, kissing puncta (present at all phases of the blink) and reduced upper and lower margin-reflex distances. Medial upper eyelid ptosis with orbital fat prolapse was a prominent feature. Four patients (nine eyes underwent eyelid-tightening surgery to restore normal anatomical position of the puncta. Only one of the four patients achieved improvement in epiphora at 3 months. One patient with continued epiphora underwent subsequent dacrocystorhinostomy with improvement in symptoms. The fifth patient had mild laxity and underwent dacrocystorhinostomy at first instance, with no improvement in symptoms, despite surgical success. The KP sign is commonly found in those with involutional eyelid changes. Epiphora is present in variable degrees in the presence of punctal apposition. Restoration of normal punctal position with eyelid-tightening surgery does not always confer an improvement in epiphora. Surgical management in the setting of KP is therefore challenging with a guarded prognosis. Symptomatic patients with KP should be counselled accordingly.

Does long-term success from endoscopic DCR correlate with early post-operative reduction in tearing?

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to determine the association between early post-operative improvement in tearing and the long-term success rate of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (eDCR). MethodsA retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent eDCR and were followed up for at least 6 months at our institution from January 2010 to December 2017 was performed. Results47 cases(39 patients) of eDCR met the inclusion and exclusion criteria during this time period.Mean follow up after the surgery was 12.5 ± 8 months. In 45 out of 47 (96%) cases post-operative improvement in epiphora within 2 weeks of surgery, or lack thereof, correlated with long-term success or failure of the procedure.There were only 2 cases in which the patients felt improvement in tearing at the initial post-operative visit and the tearing recurred in the late post-operative period (>6 months). ConclusionsThere is a strong association between the early initial post-operative assessment of tearing resolution and the long-term result of eDCR.

The Application of Infrared Imaging and Optical Coherence Tomography of the Lacrimal Punctum in Patients Undergoing Punctoplasty for Epiphora

To determine the application of imaging the stenotic lacrimal punctum with infrared photographs and optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to identify characteristics of the lacrimal punctum in patients who benefit from punctoplasty. Case-control study. Twenty patients with epiphora who were listed for punctoplasty and 20 healthy controls. Prospectively, 20 patients listed for punctoplasty were asked to rate their epiphora, using the Munk score, before and after punctoplasty. They also underwent preoperative OCT and infrared imaging of the affected punctum. They were divided into 2 groups, depending on whether the epiphora improved, and were compared with 20 healthy controls. Measurements of puncta from infrared and OCT images were obtained along with Munk scores of patient epiphora. The infrared image measurements were significantly smaller in those patients whose epiphora improved compared with those whose did not in both the area of the punctal aperture and in the maximum punctal diameter. Additionally, those patients with improvement in epiphora had a significantly smaller preoperative punctal diameter at 100 μm depth on OCT compared with healthy controls; this was not observed in patients whose epiphora failed to improve. There was no significant difference in the punctum diameter among the 3 groups at the punctum surface entrance or at 500 μm depth. Patients with epiphora had a higher tear meniscus within the punctum compared with healthy controls. Lacrimal punctum infrared and OCT imaging may be helpful in predicting patients more likelyto benefit symptomatically from punctoplasty, with patients with smaller puncta having greater symptomaticimprovement. However, the results suggest that inner punctum diameter (not readily measurable byslit-lamp examination), rather than the surface diameter, is correlated with outcome. Additionally, OCT measurements of the tear meniscus height within the punctum may be related to the degree of epiphora.

Ultrasonic bone aspirator assisted endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the ultrasonic bone aspirator versus traditional powered drill technique for use in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. Study designRetrospective chart review. SettingAcademic institution. Subjects and methodsA retrospective chart review of all patients undergoing endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy from June 2010 through May 2014 was performed. Data were collected from 63 eyes of 63 patients. Recorded data points include: age, gender, etiology of epiphora, procedure type, success rate, need for septoplasty, and length of follow-up. Surgical failure was defined as no improvement in epiphora, postoperative dacryocystitis, or inability to irrigate the lacrimal system post-operatively. ResultsSixty three consecutive patients underwent endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. Twenty nine patients underwent powered microdrill DCR (pDCR); 34 patients underwent ultrasonic bone aspirator DCR (uDCR). There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of age or gender. The success rates were: pDCR 86.2% and uDCR 94.1% (p=0.4). Concurrent septoplasty was performed in 48% of pDCR patients and 21% of uDCR patients (p=0.03) There was no significant difference in surgical success when septoplasty was controlled for (p=0.39). ConclusionUltrasonic bone aspirator dacryocystorhinostomy has a similar success rate to traditional powered microdrill dacryocystorhinostomy.

Mini Monoka Stent Insertion for the Management of Epiphora Secondary to Canalicular Obstruction or Stenosis

Background/Aims: To assess the outcomes of Mini monoka lacrimal stent insertion in the management of epiphora in adults caused by inferior or common canalicular duct obstruction or stenosis.Methods: A retrospective study was performed selecting consecutive patients at Hobart Eye Surgeons, from Oct 2007 to Mar ’08 who had Mini Monoka stents inserted for epiphora secondary to confirmed obstruction/stenosis in either inferior or common canaliculus. These patients had their stents routinely removed after six weeks.Results: There were a total of 36 eyes (31 patients) included in the study and 31 eyes (83.7%) showed subjective improvement in epiphora. One patient was lost to follow up and 5 eyes showed no improvement.Conclusion: In this first case series which used Mini Monoka stents to treat epiphora, there was a high success rate in improvement of epiphora. Further research is warranted to further validate its use into routine clinical practice.

Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy without mucosal flap : Our experience

Background: The purpose of our study was to evaluate outcome of Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy without preservation of mucosal flap for the management of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction Methods: A retrospective review of 26 patients were performed on patients who underwent Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy without preservation of mucosal flap from March 2007 to November 2010 at our hospital. Twenty six patients were operated and followed up postoperatively for five to six weeks with lacrimal syringing by ophthalmologists and diagnostic endoscopy done at third month and followed up until the formation of well formed ostium and patients became asymptomatic. Main outcome were subjective improvement in epiphora and persistence of anatomic patency of ostium. Result: There were 26 patients operated, one is male and all others were female. The age of patients were ranging within 20 to 78 years (mean 36.65years).Every patients were followed up in the range of four months to two years (mean 6.2 months). Septoplasty was required in only one patient prior to DCR. Anatomic patency were confirmed by nasal endoscopy in twenty four patients (92%), remaining two had synechiae without ostium. One patient among 24 patients had ostium and lacrimal flow with intermittent epiphora. Our overall success rate with anatomical patency and without symptoms of epiphora is 88%. Conclusion: Our results with endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy are comparable with previously published outcomes. Our data suggest that endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy without preservation of mucosal flap may be performed DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjo.v19i1.11728 Bangladesh J Otorhinolaryngol 2013; 19(1): 41-45

Acute Dacryocystitis with Abscess: Endonasal Dacryocystorhinostomy, the Primary Treatment of Choice

ABSTRACT Background/objectives Acute dacryocystitis, or inflammation of the lacrimal sac with abscess, is almost always secondary to nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The standard practice for treatment is incision and drainage because of concerns about the risks of exacerbation and spread of infection. Here, we tried to evaluate primary endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (EnDCR) as a treatment for acute dacryocystitis with abscess formation. Materials and methods This is comparative case series analysis study done during the study period of 54 months from January 2007 to May 2011. A total of 46 cases of acute dacryocystitis with lacrimal abscess managed were included in the study. Twenty-one cases were operated primarily with EnDCR. Rest of the 25 cases was managed conventionally by incision and drainage and later by an external DCR. Results Swelling disappeared intraoperatively in all EnDCR cases while medial canthal edema and erythema completely reduced within 2 to 3 days postoperatively. While in incision and drainage swelling disappeared partially intraoperatively and repeated draining was needed on the 2nd and 3rd day. The mean visual analog scale (VAS) score on first postoperative day was 3.14 in group A and was 4.64 in group B. Group A had faster pain relief with 95.23% improvement in epiphora while group B had slower pain relief but epiphora remained. Mean intraoperative blood was 65 ml in group A and minimal in group B. Conclusion Primary EnDCR is successful as a procedure of choice for acute dacryocystitis with abscess preventing further episodes of abscess formation and epiphora in the patients. We recommend EnDCR as the treatment of choice for acute dacryocystitis with lacrimal abscess. How to cite this article Naik SM, Naik SS. Acute Dacryocystitis with Abscess: Endonasal Dacryocystorhinostomy, the Primary Treatment of Choice. Clin Rhinol An Int J 2012;5(3):107-113.

Efficacy of Probing with Mitomycin-C in Adults with Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjunctive mitomycin-c (MMC) during probing in adults with primary nasolacrimal duct (NLD) obstruction. This is a prospective, comparative, randomized interventional study. A total of 40 adult patients with unilateral epiphora caused by primary NLD obstruction were treated and evaluated. Lacrimal probing and irrigation with adjunctive MMC (1 mL of 0.2 mg/mL, once) in cases and only probing in controls were done. At the end of 3 months, subjective improvement in epiphora and patency on syringing were evaluated. Complete subjective improvement in epiphora was found in 15% of cases as opposed to 0% in controls, at 3 months of follow-up. Moderate improvement was seen in 25% of cases as opposed to 5% of controls. Mild improvement was seen in 25% of cases as opposed to 35% in controls. The overall subjective improvement was seen in 65% of cases as opposed to 40% in controls. On syringing, NLD was patent in 30% of cases as opposed to 10% in controls at 3 months of follow-up, which was not significant. Use of intraoperative MMC improves the success of probing to some extent. Being a minimally invasive procedure, it can be tried in patients who refuse or are not systemically fit for undergoing dacryocystorhinostomy.