Comparison of Results and Complications between 0.64 mm and 0.94 mm Silicone Tube Intubation in Adults

PURPOSE: To compare surgical success rates and complications of silicone tube intubation using 0.64-mm- and 0.94-mm-diameter tubes in adult patients with nasolacrimal duct stenosis. METHODS: In 62 eyes of 36 patients diagnosed with nasolacrimal duct stenosis who had undergone silicone tube intubation, we surveyed sex, age, symptom duration, time of tube removal, mean follow-up period, and surgical success rate between two groups divided by silicone tube diameter, 0.64 mm and 0.94 mm. By preoperative syringing test and dacryocystography, we examined the surgical results and complications of the two groups. RESULTS: The silicone tube diameter was 0.64 mm in 43 eyes (69.4%) and 0.94 mm in 19 eyes (30.2%). The surgical success rates in the two groups were 84.1% (36 eyes) and 78.9% (15 eyes), respectively, but the difference was not significant statistically. The surgical success rate was higher in partial stenosis than in complete stenosis but was not different according to silicone tube diameter according to preoperative syringing test and dacryocystography. Silicone tube disconnection and bending were only observed in 0.94-mm-diameter silicone tubes. CONCLUSIONS: In silicone tube intubation for nasolacrimal duct stenosis in adults, silicone tube diameter does not affect operation success. However, silicone tube disconnection and bending were observed only in the 0.94 mm silicone tube.

<b>Saisoin Efficacy in Refractory Nasolacrimal Duct Stenosis</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Nasolacrimal duct stenosis, which causes epiphora and eye mucus, is generally treated with probing and irrigation of the nasolacrimal duct. A 57-year-old woman was treated with probing and irrigation of the nasolacrimal duct three times, however, her symptoms of refractory nasolacrimal duct stenosis did not improve. Following 3 days administration of saisoin, her epiphora ameliorated. Based on this experience, we treated 11 adult patients with nasolacrimal duct stenosis using saisoin, and 10 (90.9%) achieved remission within a week. All the adult patients had received treatment by probing and irrigation of the nasolacrimal duct at an ophthalmological clinic, and their symptoms had not improved. Two such cases in infants, moreover, were cured with saisoin in a week. This is the first report on the efficacy of saisoin for the treatment of nasolacrimal duct stenosis in Japan.