Balloon catheter dilation for treatment of peritent naolacrimal duct obtruction

PURPOE: To report the outcome of balloon catheter dilation of the lacrimal duct for treatment of children with peritent naolacrimal duct obtruction after previou urgery. DEIGN: Interventional cae erie. METHOD: Thirty-two conecutive children with a hitory of peritent naolacrimal duct obtruction following previou urgery were treated with naolacrimal duct probing with balloon catheter dilation of the dital naolacrimal duct. Patient were excluded from thi tudy if they had a hitory of facial trauma, ytemic diorder that involved the lacrimal ytem, or naolacrimal duct cyt. Outcome were conidered excellent if the patient had complete ymptomatic reolution of epiphora and dacryocytiti and normal tear drainage on examination, good if the patient had only minimal reidual ymptom or a minimally delayed dye diappearance tet, fair if the patient had moderate reidual ymptom or delayed tear drainage, and poor if there wa no improvement. REULT: Thirty-two children (20 with bilateral naolacrimal duct obtruction and 12 with unilateral naolacrimal duct obtruction) underwent balloon catheter dilation. Overall reult were excellent in 9 (28%) patient, good in 15 (47%) patient, fair in 7 (22%) patient, and poor in 1 (3%) patient. even patient had undergone more than one previou procedure. Of thee patient, 3 had excellent outcome, 2 had good outcome, 1 had a fair outcome, and 1 had a poor outcome following balloon catheter dilation. CONCLUION: Balloon catheter dilation i a afe and generally effective treatment for children with peritent ymptom of naolacrimal duct obtruction following previou urgery.