Preurgical and poturgical ultraound aement of lacrimal drainage dyfunction

Purpoe In addition to the obligatory clinical tet, imaging of the lacrimal drainage ytem (LD) i ueful in it clinical evaluation. The purpoe of thi tudy wa to examine the uability and reliability of ultraonography in the evaluation of the lacrimal drainage ytem. Deign Obervational cohort tudy. Method A propective tudy wa conducted at a ingle intitution. We performed ultraound examination on 17 patient with epiphora before and after urgery, and on 17 aymptomatic volunteer, to viualize and evaluate the anatomic and functional condition or pathologic abnormalitie of the LD. Reult Echographic evaluation of the LD wa poible in all individual. Pathologic abnormalitie (canaliculiti, diverticuliti, concretion, or dilation of the lacrimal ac, and reduced functionality of the orbicular mucle and/or lacrimal ac pump) could be well demontrated. In the poturgical coure, functional patency of the dacryocytorhinotomy opening could be verified in all cae. Concluion onography of the LD appear to repreent a reliable diagnotic technique upplementary to clinical tet in the preurgical and poturgical examination of patient with epiphora. Pathologic abnormalitie that may not be apparent in routine x-ray dacryocytography can be demontrated with ultraound technique. Patient alo benefit from the avoidance of expoure to ionizing radiation. However, ultraound i not uitable for imaging the lower part of the lacrimal ac and the lacrimal duct becaue of the preence of overlying bony tructure.