Paediatric endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy in congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were to report a series of paediatric patients who underwent endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) for primary congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO).


METHODS
This is a retrospective, noncomparative review of all consecutive cases in two lacrimal clinics between January 1999 and October 2004. The main outcome measures were patients' demographics, previous treatments, clinical presentation, operative and postoperative complications, postoperative follow-up and resolution of epiphora.


RESULTS
Twenty-one patients (15 males) with a mean age of 6+/-3.5 years (range, 2-14 years) underwent 26 endoscopic DCR operations for congenital NLDO. Sixteen cases were unilateral, and five were bilateral. In 13 cases (50.0%), there was a history of epiphora and chronic dacryocystitis with or without a mucocele. Two cases (7.7%) presented with acute dacryocystitis, and 11 (42.3%) had only a history of epiphora. Previous procedures included probing and irrigation in 25 cases (96.2%) and insertion of Crawford tubes in 19 cases 973.1%). During a mean postoperative follow-up period of 18+/-8 months, the anatomical success rate (free flow of fluorescein sodium and patency of ostium on nasal endoscopy) was 100%, and the clinical success rate (resolution of epiphora) was 92.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
Endoscopic endonasal DCR is an effective treatment modality for congenital NLDO that compares favourably with the reported success rates of external DCR.
Oculoplastic, Lacrimal & Orbital Division, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences South Australia, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5000, Australia. leiboigal5@yahoo.com.au
Igal
I
Leibovitch
Dinesh
D
Selva
Angelo
A
Tsirbas
Edward
E
Greenrod
John
J
Pater
Peter J
PJ
Wormald
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000151:congenital*; D008297:Male; D009301:Nasolacrimal Duct / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome