External vs. endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy: six of one, a half dozen of the other?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this review is to describe the results from published clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of two types of dacryocystorhinostomy, namely external and endonasal.


RESULTS
Many studies report high success rates with either procedure in alleviating the consequences of nasolacrimal duct obstruction. However, only a few studies have compared the two approaches in a prospective, randomized fashion.


CONCLUSIONS
Both types of procedure achieve excellent outcomes, and there is no definitive evidence from published, large-scale studies that one approach is superior to the other.
Eichhorn
Knut
K
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
Harrison
Andrew R
AR
D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy; D006801:Humans; D009301:Nasolacrimal Duct / Q000601:surgery*