ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Il Giornale Italiano di Radiologia Medica 2019 Gennaio-Febbraio;6(1):8-15

DOI: 10.23736/S2283-8376.19.00157-8

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Evaluation of the diameter of the bony naso-lacrimal canal in the primary obstructive pathologies of the lacrimal ducts

Mariacristina MATURI ¹ ✉, Enza GENCO ¹, Giulia SALANDINI ¹, Rosa LONGO ², Alessandro MORGANTE ², Sara MEHRABI ¹, Giancarlo MANSUETO ¹

¹ Institute of Radiology, G.B. Rossi Policlinic, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy; ² Unit of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italia

BACKGROUND: Obstructive diseases of the lacrimal system are classified in primary (PANDO) and secondary (SALDO); both manifest themselves mainly with epiphora. The precise mechanism PANDOs are based on is unknown, but the diameter of the bony naso-lacrimal canal is considered to be one of the main concomitant causes and, together with other factors, can lead to the generation of specific symptoms. The aim of this preliminary study is to evaluate a possible association between minimum diameter of the bony canal and PANDOs.
METHODS: Minimum diameter of the bony naso-lacrimal canal has been measured retrospectively in 30 patients with PANDO (18 monolateral, 12 bilateral) that underwent CT-dacryocistography at the Hospital of Verona between May 2017 and March 2018. Patients with known secondary causes of SALDO were excluded. The results have been compared to a control group of 30 patients that underwent CT of the orbitary/sinusal district during the same period.
RESULTS: Mean minimum diameter of bony nasolacrimal canal in the control group is 4.0 mm (standard deviation 0.7 mm). Mean minimum diameter of bony nasolacrimal canal in the group with PANDO is resulted 3.6 mm (standard deviation 0.8 mm). The difference between the two groups is significative (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: In our preliminary results, patients with PANDO present a lower minimum diameter of the bony naso-lacrimal canal compared to patients without obstructive pathology of lacrimal system. Therefore we may presume that it may be a concomitant factor in PANDOs; these pathologies are highly likely to require surgical treatment.

KEY WORDS: Tomography, X-ray computed - Lacrimal apparatus - Dacryocystorhinostomy