Nasolacrimal duct obstruction following transantral-ethmoidal orbital decompression

Of 200 patients undergoing bilateral transantral-ethmoidal orbital decompression for Graves' ophthalmopathy, nine suffered symptomatic postoperative obstruction of the lower nasolacrimal excretory system. Five of the nine patients had persistent symptoms of epiphora or repeated episodes of dacryocystitis that necessitated dacryocystorhinostomy. Dacryocystorhinostomy relieved symptoms and objective evidence of obstruction in these five patients. We believe that nasolacrimal duct obstruction occurred in these patients as a complication of nasoantral window construction.