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Transcanalicular Diode Laser-assisted Dacryocystorhinostomy for the Treatment of Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction
Published on: October 13, 2017
Surgical treatment of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstructions in Italy
1Department of Ophthalmology, Columbus Association, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. be.ricci@libero.it
Insights
Nasolacrimal duct probing is the most common surgical treatment for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction in Italian infants and children. This study analyzed surgical procedures performed between 1999 and 2005.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) is a common condition in infants.
- Spontaneous resolution occurs in many cases, but surgical intervention is sometimes necessary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the surgical treatments for CNLDO performed in Italy.
- To analyze surgical trends in different age groups (0-1 and 1-4 years).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of the Italian Ministry of Health database.
- Data collected for children aged 0-4 years from 1999 to 2005.
Main Results:
- A total of 9081 surgical procedures were performed for CNLDO.
- Nasolacrimal duct probing accounted for 88.8% of all interventions.
- Surgical rates were 7.3/10000 live births for infants <1 year and 4.3/10000 for children aged 1-4 years.
Conclusions:
- Nasolacrimal duct probing is the primary surgical approach for CNLDO unresponsive to conservative management.
- The study data exclusively represent inpatient procedures and may not reflect the overall incidence of CNLDO.
- Surgical procedure rates can serve as an indicator for more severe congenital lacrimal drainage system pathologies.
Aim:
The aim of this study to present the surgical treatments performed in Italy for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.
Methods:
This was a retrospective review of the Ministry of Health database for groups aged 0-1 and 1-4 years from 1999 through 2005.
Results:
During the study period, a total of 9081 surgical procedures was performed on children 0-4 years of age, 2739 of which on infants under 1 year of age and 6342 on children 1-4 year-old; 8067 (88.8%) of these interventions were represented by nasolacrimal duct probing, 2556 of which in infants under one year of age and 5511 in the 1-4 year age group. Total number of the other surgical techniques was 984, 183 of which among infants younger than one year of age and 801 among children aged 1-4 years. The seven-year mean number of surgical treatments corresponds to a rate of 7.3/10000 live births for infants <1 year old and 4.3/10000 for children aged 1-4 years.
Conclusion:
When congenital nasolacrimal duct obstructions do not improve spontaneously, probing resulted the more common surgical treatment performed. Our data are related exclusively to infantile inpatients and cases managed on an office basis are not included. Consequently, our figures cannot be considered indicative of the incidence of this pathology in Italy. However, the mean number per 10000 of surgical procedures may represent, in our opinion, a useful indicator for the more severe forms of congenital lacrimal drainage system pathologies.
