Lacrimal Obstruction
Lacrimal obstruction in patient’s left eye.
What are the symptoms of lacrimal obstruction?
If the nasolacrimal duct is blocked the eye becomes watery, and sometimes sticky. Some people develop a painless swelling of the lacrimal sac at the inner corner of the eye and in a few people this swelling becomes infected, causing a red, tender lump or abscess.
Why does blocked tear duct (lacrimal obstruction) occur?
Most cases of lacrimal obstruction occur for unknown reasons. However, a few identified causes are:
Congenital malformation of the lacrimal drainage system, i.e. a small number of children are born with blocked tear ducts
Severe forms of conjunctivitis
Some chemotherapy agents and eye drops
Surgical or traumatic damage to the drainage system
What is the treatment for lacrimal obstruction?
Most cases of confirmed obstruction will require a procedure to relieve the symptoms of watering. The primary aim of treatment is to either dilate the system (eg. Nasolacrimal duct intubation), or to bypass any obstruction eg. Dacryocystorhinostomy Surgery (DRC).
Nasolacrimal duct stenting.