title: Efficiency of endoscopic imaging in repetitive probing following unsuccessful probing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To show the efficiency of repetitive probing performed with intranasal endoscopic imaging in cases who underwent unsuccessful probing and the accompanying nasal pathologies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four eyes of the 64 patients in whom primary probing was found to be unsuccessful were included in the study. Cases were divided into 3 groups, depending on the number of unsuccessful attempts (1 [group 1], 2 [group 2], and 3 [group 3] unsuccessful probings). Diagnosis of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction was confirmed by history taking, clinical examination, and fluorescence disappearance test. All cases underwent nasal endoscopic-assisted probing and were followed up on the first week, first month, and third month following the procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 50 eyes in group 1, 23 in group 2, and 11 in group 3. The causes of failure that were determined with endoscopy were as follows: functional insufficiency 8.3%, lower nasal concha tension 4.7%, thin membrane in Hasner valve 3.6%, thick membrane and fibrosis in the distal side of the duct 21.4%, probe progressed submucosally on the nasal wall 33.3%, different exit location in the nose 20.2%, nasal mucosa ballooning in the distal side of the duct 4.7%, mucocele 2.4%, and nasal polyposis 1.2%. The success rate in the groups was estimated as 86% in the first group, 69.5% in the second group, and 54.5% in the third group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Performing the repetitive probings via nasal endoscopy provided information about the location and the shape of the obstruction and the opportunity to approach, according to the cause of the failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep - Turkey.
authors.forename: Seydi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okumus
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gürler
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Durucu
authors.forename: M Gurkan
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tatar
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yayuspayi
authors.forename: Ela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Durucu
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Erbagci
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007440:Intubation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000151:congenital / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009301:Nasolacrimal Duct / Q000601:surgery*; D009339:Needles; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult