title: Canaliculitis: the incidence of long-term epiphora following canaliculotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the long-term outcome following surgical treatment for canaliculitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  All cases of canaliculitis treated surgically from January 1995 to December 2001 were identified from theatre records. Case notes were reviewed retrospectively looking specifically for delay in diagnosis (defined as two or more visits prior to diagnosis), culture results and outcome following surgical treatment. Telephonic questionnaires were used to assess the incidence of post-treatment epiphora. Symptomatic patients were offered clinic appointments for further assessment and management.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen eyes of 15 patients were identified, 13 were females and 2 males. Mean age was 69.6 years (range 45-87 years). One patient had both upper and lower canaliculitis. The remaining 14 (93.3%) had lower canaliculitis. Diagnosis was delayed in 7 of the 15 patients (46.6%). Culture results were positive in 66.6% with Staphylocococcus spp. being the most common isolate (26.6%). Actinomyces was isolated in only 2 of the 15 cases (13.3%). Conservative treatment had been tried in 5 cases (33.3%). All patients had resolution of symptoms following canaliculotomy. Epiphora was identified in four of the treated eyes on telephonic questionnaires. Of these, three eyes had preexisting lacrimal pathology. Average follow-up was 26 months (range 6-83 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Canaliculotomy is safe and efficacious in the treatment of lacrimal canaliculitis with no demonstrable risk of posttreatment epiphora.
authors.affiliation: Wolverhampton & Midland Counties Eye Infirmary, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK.
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hollingworth
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Soupramanien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sandramouli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003607:Dacryocystitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome