TREATMENT OF CONGENITAL NASO LACRIMAL DUCT OBSTRUCTION

The tears produced in our eyes move down through the naso-lacrimal duct and drain into the nose.

• Many babies are born with an underdeveloped tear-duct system, a problem that can lead to tear-duct blockage, excess tearing, and infection.​ Blocked tear ducts are common in infants; as many as one third may be born with this condition. 

• Other causes of blockage, especially in older kids, are rare. Some kids have nasal polyps, which are cysts or growths of extra tissue in the nose at the end of the tear duct.

• A blockage also can be caused by a cyst or tumour in the nose, but again, this is very unusual in children 

Symptoms​

• Symptoms usually excessive tearing (even when a baby is not crying) develop between birth and 12 weeks of age, although the problem might not be apparent until an eye becomes infected. 

• There might be yellowish discharge,pus in the corner of the eye, or crusting over the eyelid or in the eyelashes.

• Sometimes,they  can develop an infection in the lacrimal sac called dacryocystitis. Signs include redness at the inner corner of the eye and a slight tenderness and swelling or bump at the side of the nose.

• Some infants are born with a cyst in the lacrimal sac, causing a swollen blue bump called a dacryocystocele to appear next to the inside corner of the eye.

Treatment​

• Fortunately, more than 90% of all cases clear up by the time children are 1 year old with regular NLD massage

• If it becomes infected, topical (applied to the skin) antibiotics might be needed.

• However, with some infections, a baby may need to be treated in a hospital with IV (intravenous, given into a vein) antibiotics, followed by surgical probing of the nasolacrimal duct.