Silicone Intubation for Functional Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

ABSTRACT

Functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction refers to a situation in which the lacrimal system is patent to syringing in a patient complaining of tearing. From July 1995 to July 1998 we performed silicone tube intubation in 29 eyes of 22 patients with functional obstruction of the lacrimal drainage passages. Seventy-two percent of patients had resistance in the lacrimal passage atprobing and proximal nasolacrimal duct was the most frequent obstruction site.Epiphora has improved in 58.6% (17 eyes)after silicone intubation without any improvement in the remaining.Some even became aggravated. Most patients with functional obstruction had partial obstruction in the lacrimal passage and more than half of them became improved with the sil-So silicone intubation can be considered as an initial procedure prior to dacryocystorhinostomy