Epidemiology of chronic dacryocystitis and success rate of external dacryocystorhinostomy in Nepal.
OBJECTIVE
To study the epidemiology of chronic dacryocystitis and the success rate of external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) in Nepal.


METHODS
This is a retrospective descriptive and interventional case series. A total of 662 records of patients with chronic dacryocystitis due to nasolacrimal duct obstruction, who were treated by means of external DCR without bicanalicular silastic tube intubation, were studied.


METHODS
Mean for age with standard deviation and confidence intervals were calculated. The significance of the difference in means was calculated using the unpaired t-test.


RESULTS
Of 662 patients, 67.6% were female. The mean age of the patients was 27.4 +/- 13.7 years (SE = 0.53, 95% CI = 26.34-28.46). Chronic dacryocystitis due to nasolacrimal duct obstruction was found in 86 patients (13.0%) from the high hills (mean age = 35.3 +/- 11.4 years, 95% CI = 32.85-37.75), but most patients (576, 87.0%) were from the subtropical lowlands with a monsoon climate (mean age = 26.9 +/- 13.3 years, 95% CI = 25.8-28.0; p = < 0.01). An overall success rate of 88.6% (89.8% for high-hill patients and 87.4% for those from the lowlands) was obtained after DCR.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic dacryocystitis is more common in the subtropical plains of Nepal with a monsoon climate than in the high hills. It is predominantly found in pre-menopausal females. External DCR without bicanalicular silastic tube intubation is an effective method for treating chronic dacryocystitis due to NLDO in these patients.
Badhu
B
B
Department of Ophthalmology, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal. aabadhu@yahoo.com
Dulal
S
S
Kumar
S
S
Thakur
S K D
SK
Sood
A
A
Das
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003607:Dacryocystitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome