Our results of chronic dacriosistitis treatment

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness and the results of the external and endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy and tube intubation in chronic dacryocystitis treatment.Material and Method: 251 eyes of 216 patients who had epiphora complaintment between June 2002 ? March 2011 in Cukurova University Ophthalmology Department were included. 240 (203 eyes were primary and 37 eyes were recurrent chronic dacriosistitis) patients were undergone external DCR and 11 patients were undergone endoscopic DCR with association ear-nose-throat specialist. During the control examinations which were done in the 1st week, 1st month, 3rd and 6th month, the results were evaluated by irrigating. The patients whose following duration is less than six months were excluded.Results: The total 216 patients, 172 women (79.69%), 44 men (20.4%), were included. The average age of the patients was 40.1 ± 15.47 (6-85). There was significant rate difference between the male and female groups. The chronic dacryocystitis rate was significantly greater than the female group (p<0.001). 245 patients who were done external and endoscopic DCR were applied silicon intubation. The tube is not implemented at all 6 patients. 12 patients explanted their silicon tube by themselves. The tube was expanted from 47 patients at the 0-3 month visit and 186 patients at the 3-6 month visit in our clinic.The Recurrence of chronic dacryocystitis rate in patients without silicone intubation group was 16.7%. In the 1st month visit, in the patients who explanted the tube by themselves the rate was 8.3%. in 0-3rd month visit clinical tube explantation group was 10.6%, in 3-6th month visit clinical tube explanation group was 16.1%.Chronic dacryocystitis recurrent rates were higher in no tube intubation and 3-6th month visit tube explantation group but it was?nt significant (p=0,72).The success of the two thecniques was 85.4% in 240 patient undergone External DCR and 81.8% in 11 patients undergone Endoscopic DCR.Conculsion: External and Endoscopic DCR is the current surgical treatment of chronic dacriosistitid. Two of them have advantages and disadvantages. The preference of surgical technique is depended on the communication between the surgeon and patient. İncluding silicone tube intubation to the surgery has many advantages and disadvantages. We should use the silicone tube intubation with the patients with recurrence of chronic dacryocystitis and without anterior and posterior flaps at the surgery.Key Words: Dacryocystitis, external dacryocystorhinostomy, endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, silicone tube intubation, dacryocystorhinostomy