Clinical Research Directory

External Versus Powered Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy With Mitomycin C for Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

Primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction causes persistent tearing because tears cannot drain normally from the eye into the nose. The purpose of this randomized study was to compare two operations used to restore tear drainage: external dacryocystorhinostomy, performed through a small skin incision near the inner corner of the eye, and powered endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, performed through the nose using an endoscope and powered instruments, with mitomycin C applied during surgery to reduce scar formation. Participants were assigned to the two surgical groups using a pre-generated randomization list. Recruitment was completed after 60 participants had been enrolled, resulting in 30 participants in each group. Participants were followed for 12 months after surgery. The main outcomes were whether the newly created tear drainage opening remained open and whether tearing symptoms improved. Additional assessments included postoperative symptom severity, patient satisfaction, surgical complications, cosmetic concerns related to the external scar, and willingness to undergo the same procedure again.

Comparative Outcomes of Four Versus Two Balloon Inflation Points in Dacryoplasty for Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

Primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction

Efficacy Evaluation of 5-Fluorouracil as an Adjuvant to Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy in Managing Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction With Small Lacrimal Sac: A Randomized Controlled Study

Primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) is a lacrimal duct obstruction disease characterized by inflammatory fibrosis of the nasolacrimal duct, with primary symptoms including epiphora and increased secretions, commonly seen in middle-aged and elderly women over 40 years of age . The pathogenesis of PANDO remains unclear, and there are no effective pharmacological treatments. Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is currently considered the primary treatment for PANDO, as it restores tear drainage by creating an alternative drainage pathway between the lacrimal sac and the nasal cavity. The surgical techniques for DCR primarily include external DCR (Ex-DCR) and endoscopic DCR (En-DCR), with En-DCR first proposed by McDonogh and Meiring in 1989. In recent years, with the advancement of endoscopic sinus surgery techniques, En-DCR has gained widespread recognition in the treatment of PANDO, as it not only minimizes surgical trauma and accelerates postoperative recovery but also leaves no external scars. In recent years, with the advancement of endoscopic surgical techniques, En-DCR has gained widespread recognition in the treatment of PANDO, as it not only causes minimal surgical trauma and facilitates rapid postoperative recovery; but also leaves no external scars, making it more aesthetically pleasing; and can simultaneously correct nasal cavity abnormalities such as deviated nasal septum and sinusitis. Recent studies indicate that the surgical success rate of En-DCR can reach 84%-94%, comparable to traditional external surgery Recent studies have shown that the surgical success rate of En-DCR can reach 84%-94%, comparable to traditional external approaches. Although the prognostic factors associated with En-DCR outcomes have not yet been fully elucidated, it has been demonstrated that lacrimal sac size is one of the key indicators for predicting the efficacy of En-DCR surgery, and a small lacrimal sac is a major risk factor for En-DCR surgical failure. In patients with normal-sized lacrimal sacs, creating a larger bone window can better expose the lacrimal sac, thereby forming a larger lacrimal sac flap, making the lacrimal sac opening wider, and reducing the risk of postoperative obstruction. However, in patients with small lacrimal sacs, even if the bone window is intentionally enlarged during surgery, the resulting lacrimal sac flap remains small due to the inherent small size of the lacrimal sac, making it difficult to achieve proper alignment with the nasal mucosal flap at the anterior margin of the hook process, resulting in poor anastomotic outcomes. In PANDO cases, the primary cause of surgical failure is often related to abnormal healing of the anastomotic site postoperatively, particularly scar formation at the surgical site and scar-induced closure of the bone window. Compared to patients with normal-sized lacrimal sacs, patients with small lacrimal sacs are more prone to osteotomy site closure due to granulation tissue proliferation postoperatively, thereby reducing surgical successrates. Therefore, preventing fibrous proliferation at the osteotomy site may be key to improving the success rate of En-DCR treatment for small lacrimal sac-type PANDO. Antimetabolite drugs are frequently used to treat various ocular lesions characterized by non-tumor cell proliferation. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is one such drug, which inhibits DNA synthesis by blocking thymidine kinase, an enzyme involved in collagen gene expression. In vitro studies have shown that 5-FU interferes with the biosynthesis of F-actin and prevents fibroblast migration; 5-FU can inhibit scar formation by suppressing fibroblast proliferation; and 5-FU can prolong wound healing time. 5-FU is now widely used to inhibit fibroblast proliferation and scar formation within the filter after glaucoma filtration surgery, demonstrating good safety and efficacy. This study is the first to explore the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil as an adjunct to En-DCR therapy for small lacrimal sac PANDO, aiming to provide a new adjunctive treatment strategy for patients with small lacrimal sac PANDO.