Surgical outcome and unusual complications of paediatric external dacryocystorhinostomy

Purpose: To report the surgical outcome of external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) in children treated for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) at a single tertiary eye hospital. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 44 consecutive paediatric patients who underwent external DCR with silicon tube intubation from January 2002 to December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Age at the time of surgery ranged from 2 to 12 years. Surgical success was defined as resolution of symptoms, normal tear film height, and negative fluorescein dye disappearance test. This study adheres to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Results: Four patients had simultaneous bilateral surgery (9.1%). Four patients had redo surgery following previous unsuccessful DCR. The patients’ follow-up ranged between 2 and 10 years. There were no cases of serious immediate post-operative complications, but four children developed subcutaneous emphysema, and in two children operated before the age of 2.5 years agenesis of the ipsilateral upper canine was observed. Of the 42 patients who completed follow-up (46 eyes), 39 (43 eyes, 93.5%) had a successful result with complete cure of symptoms. Conclusions: Paediatric external DCR can successfully treat CNLDO with a low rate of complications. As the bud of the upper canine may be very close to the site of the rhinostomy when this is performed before the age of 3, it cannot be excluded that the agenesis of the ipsilateral upper canine, an unusual finding in Caucasian populations, might be related to the size and the site of the rhinostomy.