title: Comprehensive Review of the Literature on Existing Punctal Plugs for the Management of Dry Eye Disease.
abstract: Numerous designs of punctal and canalicular plugs are available on the market. This variety presents challenges to ophthalmologists when choosing punctal plugs for the management of various ocular conditions. The aim of this literature review is to provide a classification system for lacrimal occlusive devices based on their location and duration of action as well as to identify different characteristics of each one of them. We want to give a comprehensive overview on punctal and canalicular plugs including their manufacturing companies, indications, and complications that have been reported in various articles. PubMed and Google Scholar were used to identify articles written in English as well as few articles written in Japanese, Chinese, Slovak, and Spanish that had abstracts in English. Nine different companies that manufacture punctal and canalicular plugs were identified and their plugs were included in this review. Punctal and canalicular plugs are used in the management of various ocular conditions including dry eye disease and punctal stenosis as well as in ocular drug delivery. Although they are a relatively safe option, associated complications have been reported in the literature such as infection, allergic reaction, extrusion, and migration.
authors.affiliation: Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Naz
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jehangir
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bever
authors.affiliation: Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
authors.forename: S M Jafar
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moshirfar