Ten-year review of traumatic nasolacrimal duct obstruction: clinical profile, management, and outcomes

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical profile, management, and outcome in cases of traumatic nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO). Methods: Retrospective analysis of 40 patients during a 10-year period in one of oculoplastic centre in Malaysia. Results: Forty patients were included in this study, in which 31 patients were male (77.5%) and 9 were female (22.5%). Age ranged from 19 to 72 years, with a mean of 36.7 years of age. The most common aetiology was motor vehicle accident, accounting for 95%, while the remaining 5% was due to blunt trauma. A total of 32 patients underwent external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) with bicanaliculi intubation, 6 patients underwent DCR and another 2 were planned for external DCR but abandoned intraoperatively due to the presence of extensive scar tissue involving lacrimal sac and severe disruption of anatomical site. The surgical outcomes, anatomical success seen in 87% (n = 28) of cases. However anatomical success can be divided into anatomical and functional success seen in 82% (n = 26), while anatomical success with functional failure seen in 5% (n = 2) of cases. Conclusion: The majority of traumatic NLDO occurred in males who were involved in motor vehicle accidents. External DCR with bicanalicular intubation provided anatomical and functional success of 82% in cases of traumatic NLDO.