Acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children

To study the clinical characteristics of acquired nasolacrimal duct (NLD) obstruction in Korean children.

The records of 38 patients under the age of 15 years who had undergone silicone intubation or dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) for acquired NLD obstruction were evaluated. Patients who had congenital NLD obstruction or a history of NLD obstruction due to trauma were excluded.

The mean age of the patients was 3 years (range, 1-8 years). The causes of the NLD obstruction were epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) in 32 patients, herpetic blepharitis in one, and idiopathic in five. In patients with a history of EKC, symptoms were observed at a mean age of 12.7 months (range, 3-51 months). These patients demonstrated multifocal features of obstruction, unlike those in the idiopathic group. Silicone intubation was performed in 32 patients, external DCR in three, and endonasal DCR in three. The lacrimal procedures were beneficial in 36 of the 38 patients. The mean follow-up period was 7.6 months.

Acquired NLD obstruction in children was mostly caused by EKC in our study. It is important to suspect NLD obstruction in children with persistent epiphora that develops after EKC.