title: Initial management of congenital canalicular atresia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the initial management of pediatric patients with lacrimal canalicular atresia (CA) involving the upper or lower eyelid.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 15 children with symptoms of nasolacrimal duct (NLD) obstruction and CA of either the upper or lower eyelid treated from 1994 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical treatment consisted of nasolacrimal probing through the patent canaliculus. Preoperative findings, treatment, and outcomes were reviewed. Outcomes were considered good if the patients had resolution of signs and symptoms of lacrimal obstruction, fair if the symptoms improved and additional surgery was not required, and poor if additional lacrimal surgery was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CA was found in 19 eyes of 15 patients: 11 eyes had upper CA; 8 eyes, lower. All 11 eyes with upper CA improved after NLD probing through the patent lower canaliculus. Of the 8 eyes with lower CA, 4 (50%) had good outcomes and 4 eyes had poor outcomes after NLD probing through the patent upper canaliculus. All of the latter patients improved after subsequent treatment with balloon catheter dilation (BCD), monocanalicular stent placement, or both.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If a patient is found to have upper CA during initial surgery for NLD obstruction, NLD probing through the patent lower canaliculus has a good rate of surgical success. For patients with lower CA, the success rate of NLD probing through the upper canaliculus appears to be lower. Additional treatment during the initial surgery with either BCD or monocanalicular stent placement should be considered in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Pediatrics, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soliman
authors.affiliation: Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Pediatrics, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Electronic address: Lueder@vision.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Gregg T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Lueder
mesh_terms: D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005143:Eyelids; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000151:congenital / Q000628:therapy*; D009301:Nasolacrimal Duct / Q000601:surgery*; D009339:Needles; D011677:Punctures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies