Ravi Kumar Diddigam1
BACKGROUND
Dacryocystitis in infants is a serious complication of congenital, but seldom of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstructions. If conservative treatment fails, dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) appears to be effective. The indications, special clinical history and results will be reviewed.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
From January 2006 to December 2010, a total of 30 children prospectively were involved in the study (26 male, 4 female) with persistent dacryocystitis (4 patients) were treated surgically by DCR and were continuously documented. The patients ranged in age from 10 months to 14 years old (mean age 4.9 years). Included in our study were 16 children (12 male, 4 female) with 4 surgically treated lacrimal ducts.
RESULTS
The cause of dacryocystitis was congenital obstruction in 13 children and trauma (maxillary fracture) in 1 child, respectively. Of these, 2 children (15%) had additional anomalies of the lacrimal system, 1 (7.6%) systemic malformations and 8 out of the 30 children (26%) had a family history of nasolacrimal duct obstruction. We found a functional success rate (with complete resolution of symptoms) of 90% (27 out of 30 lacrimal ducts) over follow-up periods ranging from 1 month to 4 years (average 1 years). 8 children probing were done and remaining 18 children were managed conservatively.
CONCLUSION
Patients with persistent dacryocystitis due to congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction have a prevalence of further nasolacrimal abnormalities and a family history In the case of persistent dacryocystitis, DCR is indicated after the age of 1 year and has the same success rate in infants as in adults (90-95%).
