Management of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction: results of a national survey of paediatric and oculoplastic ophthalmologists

Background To survey variation in management of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) by oculoplastic and paediatric ophthalmologists in the UK. Methods A 14-question online survey was sent to all members of the British Oculoplastic Surgery Society (BOPSS) and the British and Irish Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Association (BIPOSA) in February 2020. The aim was to establish preferred primary, secondary and tertiary interventions for CNLDO treatment, with emphasis on the use of nasoendoscopy and ductal intubation. Results were compared with a national survey from 2007 to observe trends in management. Results One hundred and three responses from single-speciality consultants were analysed. In total, 71.8% of CNLDO patients were assessed by paediatric ophthalmologists. Fluorescein dye disappearance test was the commonest investigation, and paediatric consultants were five times more likely to perform Jones test. No clinicians performed outpatient probing. Age of first intervention was most commonly 12 months, although more interventions are being conducted at younger ages than in 2007. Preferred primary procedure for both subspecialties was syringe and probe under general anaesthetic, with 43.9% of oculoplastic consultants using nasoendoscopy vs 12.9% of paediatric consultants. Most common re-do procedure for both subspecialties was nasoendoscopy-guided syringe and probe +/- intubation. In contrast to 2007, dacryocystorhinostomy is now the commonest tertiary procedure, with endonasal approach twice as common as external. Conclusion Despite changes in approach since 2007, there is still considerable variation between oculoplastic and paediatric ophthalmologists regarding treatment preferences for CNLDO, particularly the use of nasoendoscopy. We propose a national audit of CNLDO treatment outcomes to potentially standardise treatment protocols.