title: Factors Associated With the Efficacy of Probing for Adult Patients With Lacrimal Duct Obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the factors associated with the effectiveness of probing for epiphora in adults with lacrimal duct obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional retrospective study involving 116 eyes of 82 patients (26 males and 56 females) with a primary acquired lacrimal duct obstruction who received a probing from June 2007 to October 2013. The influences of age, gender, the duration of the symptom before probing, the number of probing treatments during the follow-up period, locations of the obstructions, and the presence of mucopurulent discharge upon irrigation of the lacrimal sac on the efficacy of probing were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obstructions were observed in the nasolacrimal duct, common canaliculus, canaliculus, and punctum for 76% (88/116), 22% (26/116), 4% (5/116), and 3% (3/116), respectively. The overall efficacy of probing was 52% (60/116). Between the effective group and the noneffective group, 77% (20/26) of the common canaliculus obstructions were found in the effective group (p = 0.0039), whereas 67% (29/43) of the cases with discharge from the lacrimal sac were found in the noneffective group (p = 0.0020). On logistic regression analysis, the efficacy of probing was increased by the presence of common canaliculus obstruction (odds ratio = 6.0408; 95% confidence interval = 1.1255-48.9179, p = 0.0353), but was decreased by the presence of discharge from the lacrimal sac (odds ratio = 0.3508; 95% confidence interval = 0.1425-0.8345, p = 0.0176).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Probing can be a therapeutic choice for lacrimal duct obstructions, particularly when there is a common canaliculus obstruction and no discharge from the lacrimal sac.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtomo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult