Endoscopic transnasal dacryocystorhinostomy and bicanalicular silicone tube intubation.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the results of endoscopic transnasal dacryocystorhinostomy (ETDCR) combined with bicanalicular silicone tube intubation (BSTI) performed in 49 patients with nasolacrimal canal obstructions secondary to chronic dacryocystitis.


METHODS
ETDCR combined with BSTI was applied as a primary procedure in 47 cases, and as a secondary procedure in 2 cases. All patients underwent dacryocystography, and 41 patients underwent radionuclide dacryoscintigraphy before the surgery. Silicone tubes were left in place for about 6.2 months. The patency of the lacrimal passages was controlled with a clinical examination, nasolacrimal canal lavage, and dacryoscintigraphy.


RESULTS
Patients were followed up for a mean period of 25.1 months after the removal of the tubes. The epiphora symptom disappeared and a successful drainage could be maintained in 43 out of 49 cases (87.7%). The obstruction rate found in the dacryoscintigraphy performed 15 days after extubation was 22.9%, while it was found to be 14.2% in the nasolacrimal canal lavage.


CONCLUSIONS
ETDCR combined with BSTI proved to be an effective surgical method in chronic dacryocystitis. The sensitivity and specificity of the postoperative dacryoscintigraphy in determining the surgical success were lower than those of the nasolacrimal canal lavage.
Apaydin
K Cemil
KC
Department of Ophthalmology, Akdeniz University, School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.
Fisenk
Firat
F
Karayalcin
Binnur
B
Akar
Yusuf
Y
Saka
Osman
O
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003607:Dacryocystitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007440:Intubation / Q000379:methods*; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009301:Nasolacrimal Duct / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D012826:Silicone Elastomers