Tear-Film Osmolarity Changes Following Dacryocystorhinostomy in Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate tear osmolarity (TO) in patients with epiphora caused by primary-acquired nasolacrimal-duct obstruction (PANDO), before and after an external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) and to compare with healthy control subjects.

Materials and Methods: Twenty eyes of 20 patients (15 women, 5 men) who suffered from epiphora for at least one year due to PANDO, and 20 eyes of 20 healthy subjects (13 women, 7 men), were included in this study. External DCR was applied to all patients with PANDO, and TO measurements were repeated during the first month follow-up visit after surgery.

Results: The mean period for complaints of epiphora was 1.7 ± 0.6 years (1–3). Patients had a mean TO of 282.6 ± 10 mOsm/l (range: 269–302) prior to DCR, and this increased to 297.7 ± 7.7 mOsm/l (range: 284–310) one month after DCR (p = 0.0001). Preoperative TO values were significantly lower when compared with the healthy control subjects’ (301.7 ± 10.6 mOsm/l (range: 280–316) (p = 0.0001). No significant differences were detected between postoperative and control group TO values (p = 0.18).

Conclusions: Epiphora due to PANDO causes lower TO values. One month after DCR, TO came to similar TO levels when compared to healthy subjects.

KEYWORDS:

• Dacryocystorhinostomy
• epiphora
• tear osmolarity

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

None of the authors have financial or proprietary interest in any method or material mentioned.