title: External dacryocystorhinostomy outcomes in patients with a history of dacryocystitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate nonidiopathic causes of external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of all patients with acute or chronic dacryocystitis who underwent external dacryocystorhinostomy performed by the senior author over a 5-year period were retrospectively reviewed, with attention to microbiology, pathology, and associated medical and history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 52 lacrimal systems of 49 patients were included, with a minimum follow-up of 2 months (average, 15.5 months). Surgical success was achieved in 42 systems (87%). Of 7 failures, 6 had a condition potentially associated with an increased risk of failure, including MRSA infection, Gram-negative infection, rhinosinusitis, lymphoma, inflammatory bowel disease, and early loss of lacrimal stents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  External DCR is a successful procedure for the treatment of nasolacrimal obstruction associated with dacryocystitis. Various factors may affect surgical success, and awareness of these factors may enable better patient counseling and surgical planning.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts;; Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston;
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, New York University / New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, New York;; Department of Ophthalmology, Moran Eye Center, Salt Lake City, Utah;
authors.forename: Sonya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhar
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence;
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts;; Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston;
authors.forename: Suzanne K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Freitag
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003607:Dacryocystitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003608:Dacryocystorhinostomy / Q000379:methods*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult