Assessment of the efficacy of chemiluminescent evaluation of the human lacrimal drainage system.

A chemiluminescent material, Cyalume, was used to demonstrate the anatomy and patency of the human lacrimal drainage system. Cadaver models were used to simulate blockages at various levels of the lacrimal drainage system and the Cyalume technique compared favorably with the corresponding dacryocystograms. Cyalume also shows promise for use in locating the lacrimal sac at surgery, the proximal end of a lacerated canaliculus, and the free ends of canalicular intubation tubes high in the nose. The authors feel that Cyalume shows promise as both a convenient method of clinical investigation of the lacrimal system and an aid in lacrimal surgery.