title: [Congenital obstruction of lacrimal ducts in 578 children].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Congenital obstruction of the nasa lacrimal ducts is a frequent problem in infancy. Its management is still controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  578 children aged 6 weeks to 3 years were treated in our department between 1980 and 1987. Congenital obstruction of the nasa lacrimal ducts was bilateral in 172 of them, so that a total of 750 ducts were obstructed. All the infants were treated with antibiotics until they are 2 months old. Permeability was obtained in 97% of the 750 obstructed ducts: this was spontaneous in 38.7%, after a single wash in 3%, and by probing under general anesthesia in 55.3%. The percentage of cases requiring surgery increased with age at time of diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The best results are obtained in infants 2 to 4 months old.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Ophtalmologie, Hôpital F.-Hached, Sousse.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaabouni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zayani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chebihi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guiaa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ben Hadj Hamida
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000151:congenital* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy
vernacular_title: Obstruction congénitale des voies lacrymales chez 578 enfants.