Factor affecting the ucce of naolacrimal duct probing for congenital naolacrimal duct obtruction

PURPOE: To acertain the effect of certain parameter on naolacrimal duct probing. METHOD: In a retropective tudy of 142 infant and children who underwent naolacrimal duct probing for congenital naolacrimal duct obtruction, age at time of probing, gender, ymptom everity, preence of mucou dicharge, and hitory of probing were correlated with ucce of naolacrimal probing. ucce of probing wa defined a complete reolution of ign and ymptom of naolacrimal duct obtruction. Chi-quare tet wa ued to analyze covariance. REULT: ucce of naolacrimal duct probing wa negatively correlated with increaing age: 92%, 89%, 80%, 71%, and 42% at age 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 month, repectively (P = .001 at each interval). Increaing everity of epiphora wa correlated with increaed failure of naolacrimal duct probing (P = .05). CONCLUION: Although the ucce of naolacrimal duct probing decline with age, probing in older children can remain the firt line of treatment. Becaue increaing frequency of epiphora correlate with failure of naolacrimal duct probing, children with daily epiphora hould undergo early naolacrimal duct probing