Factors Predictive of Success in Probing for Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction.

PURPOSE: To report the success rate of children undergoing probing for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) and the factors relating to the failure of the procedure.

METHODS

This retrospective case series included 88 eyes of 62 patients, aged 1 to 138 months, who underwent probing between January 2008 and December 2014 in the Pediatric Ophthalmology Unit of Centro Hospitalar São João. The procedure was performed in the operating room under general anesthesia. Surgical success was defined as successful lacrimal irrigation in-traoperatively and resolution of epiphora at the follow-up visit 1 month after surgery.

RESULTS

The overall success rate after first probing was 77.3% (68 of 88 eyes). No differences were found regarding age (P = .546), gender (P = .740), surgical experience (P = .611), or laterality (P = .328) between children who were cured and not cured. The surgical success rate decreased in children older than 4 years, although not to a statistically significant degree (P = .190). Surgical success after second probing was 85.7% (12 of 14 eyes), and the median interval between the two procedures was 3 months (range: 2 to 54 months). In 30% (7 of 20 eyes, 4 of 13 patients) of children with persistent obstruction, otorhinolaryngology evaluation evinced an adenoid hypertrophy requiring surgical correction.

CONCLUSIONS

The success rate of nasolacrimal probing for CNLDO was not related to age, gender, laterality, or the surgeon's experience. Otorhinolaryngology evaluation is recommended for unresponsive patients. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2017;54(2):123-127.].