Treatment of the Lacrimal Fistula with Punctal Plug.

Kim, Hyun Ho; Jeong, Byung Jin; Shin, Dong Su; Lee, Kyoo Won

Case Report

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2007;48(4):589-592.
Published online April 30, 2007.

Treatment of the Lacrimal Fistula with Punctal Plug.

Hyun Ho Kim, Byung Jin Jeong, Dong Su Shin, Kyoo Won Lee

Cheil Eye Hospital, #803-2 Sinam-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu, Korea. healeye@nate.com

눈물점마개를 이용한 눈물샛길의 치료

김현호,정병진,신동수,이규원

Cheil Eye Hospital

Correspondence: Hyun Ho Kim, M.D.

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the results and complications of the punctal plug insertion through lacrimal fistula. METHODS: Four patients diagnosed with congenital lacrimal fistula had a punctual plug inserted through the lacrimal fistula without anesthesia from January to May 2005. RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 6.8 months. In two pediatric patients whose mean age was 5.0 years, the fistula was not associated with nasolacrimal duct. In two adult patients, it was associated nasolacrimal duct obstruction, whose mean age was 49.0 years. In all cases epiphora improved. There was a puncal plug prolapse in one case and no other complications. CONCLUSIONS: Punctal plug insertion is considered a simple and useful technique for lacrimal fistula without congenital nasolacrimal obstruction in children especially whose parents refuse general anesthesia. Punctal plug insertion can be useful to reduce scarring in adult patients that receive endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with nasolacrimal obstruction.

Key Words: Congenital lacrimal fistula;Punctal plug