ABSTRACT

Objectives:

To retrospectively evaluate the patients who presented to our clinic with lacrimal canalicular injury.

Materials and Methods:

In this study, we included 20 patients who presented to the Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, with lacrimal canalicular injury between September 2010 and October 2012. Epidemiological data, mode of the injury, period between the injury and surgical repair, surgical technique, and outcomes were analyzed retrospectively from the patient records.

Results:

Mean age of the patients was 19.35±9.5 years. 85% of patients were male and 15% were female. The most common cause of injury was metallic foreign bodies (30% of patients). Injuries with plants, trees, and wooden objects, glass, animal hits, and injuries associated with falling down are the other causes, respectively. Of the 20 patients, 14 had isolated lower canalicular injury (70%), 4 had upper canalicular injury (20%), and the remaining 2 had both lower and upper canalicular injury. Monocanalicular intubation was performed in 16 cases, and bicanalicular in tubation was performed in 1 case. Postoperatively, none of the patients had epiphora.

Conclusion:

Canalicular injuries are ophthalmologic emergencies affecting all age groups, especially children and teenagers. Canalicular intubation is necessary in the surgical repair, and monocanalicular or bicanalicular techniques can be performed according to the patient characteristics and the experience of the surgeon. In our clinic, monocanalicular intubation is mostly performed in isolated lower or upper canalicular injuries, and successful results were achieved with this technique.