Krishnamoorthy Segharipuram Ranganathan1
BACKGROUND
Newborn children are usually a rare visitor in an Ophthalmology Outpatient Department. When they turn up, they have one problem or the other. Watering, redness and discharge are the usual symptoms. The aim of the study is to know the condition, the nature of presentation, the options of the treatment of congenital dacryocystitis and the causes of failure in treatment and to compare with similar results of studies done elsewhere on this subject. These cases of study were those attending the outpatient departments of ophthalmology of medical colleges and from the personal diary. A newborn child coming to the clinic or hospital with persistent watering, discharge and swelling over the lacrimal sac area will rouse the suspicion of this condition.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
About 60 cases who were seen over the period of 10 years from 2005 to 2014 were studied. These cases attending the department and seeking treatment under my care were analysed on the basis of age, sex, the treatment taken and the period of delay before the eventual treatment. The cases presented in the outpatient department and patients from clinics over the period scattered over 10 years between 2005 to 2014.
RESULTS
This study of 63 cases consisted of, the youngest one, who was of less than a month old and the oldest one of 15-month-old, and a bunch of kids between these age groups, all had unilateral involvement. In this study, right eye was affected more than the left eye. There was a slight sex predominance, in that, more male children1 were seen than the female children. Most of the cases who were brought earlier got cured by simple massaging alone after the initial firm massage. 70% and 7% of those needed simple syringing through the punctum to establish further continued passage. None of these failed in this study except three cases who needed massage after the probing to sustain the patency. The earlier, the child is brought for the treatment, the more success it ensues. The simplest treatment of massage cures in about two third of cases and only one third of cases and older children needed probing, which goes well as reported in the literature too.2
CONCLUSION
This study revealed that the condition is treatable condition, non-surgically, provided the newborn babies are brought early. The delay in the massaging, delays and spoils the chance of nonsurgical treatment and cure.
