Inferior turbinate fracture and congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction

PURPOSE. To evaluate the success rate of probing combined with inferior turbinate fracture in comparison with simple probing as a first attempt in the treatment of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children. METHODS. In a prospective interventional case-control study, 86 eyes from 61 children older than 6 months with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction underwent surgical intervention. Forty-two eyes of 33 patients underwent probing combined with infracturing of the inferior turbinate and 44 eyes of 28 patients underwent simple probing. The outcome evaluation included a standard ophthalmologic examination plus a dye disappearance test 2 months after the surgical intervention. RESULTS. In the case group (probing + infracture of the inferior turbinate), the results were good in 22 (66.7%) patients, fair in 8 (24.2%), and poor in 3 (9.1%). In the control group (simple probing), the results were good in 20 (71.4%) patients, fair in 3 (10.7%), and poor in 5 (17.9%) (p= 0.9). Success rates were 91% and 82% in the case and control groups, respectively (p= 0.4). CONCLUSIONS. Based on the results of this study, infracturing of the inferior turbinate does not increase the success rate of simple probing as a first attempt. (Eur J Ophthalmol 2006; 16: 520-4)