title: Office probing for treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction in infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether demographic or clinical factors are associated with the outcome of office-based nasolacrimal duct probing for the treatment of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO).
  
  
  METHODS
  In two multicenter prospective studies, 384 eyes of 304 children aged 6 to <15 months with NLDO underwent a nasolacrimal duct probing performed in the office using topical anesthesia. Treatment success, defined as no clinical signs of NLDO (epiphora, increased tear lake, or mucous discharge) and no reoperation, was assessed 1 month after probing in one study and 6 months after probing in the other study. Data from both studies were pooled to evaluate associations between baseline characteristics and treatment success.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Office probing was successful in 75% of eyes overall (95% CI, 70%-80%). The procedure was less successful in eyes of children with bilateral NLDO compared with unilateral NLDO (63% vs 80%; relative risk = 0.78 [95% CI, 0.66-0.92]) and in eyes that had 2 or 3 clinical signs of NLDO compared with one (71% vs 83%; relative risk = 0.88 [95% CI, 0.81-0.96]). Treatment success did not appear to be related to age, specific clinical signs of NLDO, prior treatment, or research study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Performing nasolacrimal duct probing in the office successfully treats NLDO in the majority of cases in children aged 6 to <15 months. The success rate is lower with bilateral disease or when more than one clinical sign of NLDO is present.
authors.affiliation: Houston Eye Associates, The Woodlands, Texas. Electronic address: pedignld3prob@jaeb.org.
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, Florida.
authors.forename: Danielle L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Michael X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Repka
authors.affiliation: Everett and Hurite Ophthalmic Association, Cranberry TWP, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Darren L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.affiliation: St. Luke`s Children's Ophthalmology, Boise, Idaho.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, Florida.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melia
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Rychwalski
authors.affiliation: Family Eye Group, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Silbert
authors.forename: Roy W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Crouch
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Graham E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Nick A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schloff
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Nicole C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Golden
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: D Robbins
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Tien
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Weakley
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007440:Intubation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000151:congenital; D008297:Male; D009301:Nasolacrimal Duct / Q000601:surgery*; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome