Timing and method of lacrimal duct irrigation and probing in treatment of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction: a retrospective study of 3 558 cases

Abstract

Objective To explore the best time and method of lacrimal duct irrigation and probing in the treatment of children with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO). Methods A total of 3 558 children with CNLDO (5 514 eyes) who were treated in our hospital from April 2017 to December 2020 were enrolled and retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into groups according to their gender, delivery mode and treatment age, and the success rate of lacrimal duct irrigation was compared among the corresponding groups. In addition, 723 of the patients (723 eyes) who underwent lacrimal duct probing therapy were grouped according to their age and number of lacrimal duct irrigation, and the success rate of one-time patency was compared among the corresponding groups. Results In terms of lacrimal duct irrigation, the one-time patency rate was the highest in children aged 6 months, respectively, showing significant difference in age groups (P 0.05), and the patency rate of boys (46.38%) was higher than that of the girls (39.39%, P < 0.05). As for the lacrimal duct probing, the treatment Results showed that the younger the children and the fewer the times of duct irrigation were, the higher the success rate of one-time patency of probing achieved (P < 0.01). Conclusion Earlier lacrimal duct irrigation and probing in the treatment for CNLDO will lead to better therapeutic efficacy. CNLDO can be effectively cured by lacrimal duct probing when repeated lacrimal duct irrigation fails.

Keywords

• congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction
• lacrimal duct irrigation
• lacrimal duct probing