Efficacy of probing for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction in a private tertiary hospital: 10-year experience

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objetive: To evaluate the success rate of initial and repeated probing as treatment approach for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) in children between 2 and 46 months. Methods: A restrospective review of 73 children diagnosed with CNLDO who underwent probing of the NLD from March 2010 to 2020 was conducted. Data were colected from Hospital Oftalmológico de Anápolis in Anápolis, Goiás. Results: The procedure was performed in 90 eyes. The study sample was constituted of 36 males and 37 females. Bilateral involvement occurred in 18 (24.6%) children whereas 55 (75.3%) of them were unilaterally affected. The age ranges of the patients were divided into 4 groups: A - up to 6 months old (5.5% of the eyes), B - 7 to 12 months (27.5%), group C - 13 to 24 months (39.5%) and group D - older than 24 months (26.4%). The mean age of the sample was 18.6 months. Initial probing obtained an overall success rate of 88.8% and group B showed the best percentage (96%) from all age ranges. The second intervention had a lower outcome, successfuly in 55.5% of the cases. Conclusion: All age ranges showed high success rates for initial probing, although there was a decrease in subsequent procedures outcomes. Our results demonstrate that the success rate for primary probing is not affected by age.

Keywords

• Nasolacrimal duct
• Lacrimal duct obstrution
• Ophthalmologic surgical procedures
• Diagnostic techniques, ophthalmological
• Diagnostic techniques, surgical