Clinical characteristics and surgical treatment of dacryocystitis - a ten-year retrospective study

Abstract

Introduction/Objective. Nasolacrimal duct obstruction with consequent epiphora and the development of dacryocystitis (DC) represents a common pathological entity in the clinical practice of ophthalmologists and maxillofacial surgeons. The etiology of DC is multifactorial and still has not been clarified in detail. It is considered that ascending infections from the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, injuries and surgical interventions in the middle third of the face, dacryoliths, tumors of the lacrimal sac and surrounding structures may be some of the etiological factors of nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The aim of this study is to present clinical characteristics and surgical treatment of DC. Methods. A retrospective study was carried out. It covered a period of 10 years during which 49 patients with clinically verified DC were treated after surgical examination and complete diagnostics. Out of the total number, 37 patients underwent surgery. Results. The occurrence of predisposing factors was present in 80% of the patients – rhinitis and the inflammation of paranasal sinuses in 27 patients (72%), injuries and surgical interventions in the middle third of the face in nine patients (24%), whereas lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct tumors were noted in three patients (8%). Surgical failure, which was manifested in terms of recurrent DC and epiphora, was noted in six cases (16%). Conclusion. Regarding the possible complications of inadequately administered antibiotic therapy and a broad spectrum of pathological entities which comprise the differential diagnosis, dacryocystorhinostomy with an adequate histopathological analysis and appropriate antibiotic therapy in the acute stage represents a right way for the treatment of DC.

Keywords

• dacryocystitis
• predisposing factors
• differential diagnosis
• surgical treatment