DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF WATERING EYE

• Main Authors: Brigita Drnovšek Olup, Matej Beltram, Gregor Hawlina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovenian Medical Association 2016-07-01
• Series: Zdravniški Vestnik
• Subjects: watering eye, lacrimation, epiphora, transcanalicular diode laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy
• Online Access: http://vestnik.szd.si/index.php/ZdravVest/article/view/1533

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Watering eye is in the population a very common eye phenomenon. Watering eye is presented with excessive amount of tears on the surface of the eye that are spilled over the edge of the eyelid on the skin of the eyelids and face. Basically, watering eye is divided into excessive tearing or lacrimation and on the lack of drainage of tears or epiphora. Only correct identification of both phenomena can lead to successful treatment of several patients.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> The article presents the anatomy and physiology of lacrimal system causes for lacrimation and epiphora, diagnostic tests and types of treatment. Laser treatment method for epiphora which is performed at the Eye Hospital in Ljubljana is presented.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The most common cause for epiphora is nasolacrimal duct occlusion, which is treated by dacryocystorhinostomy. With the minimally invasive version of this treatment method, transcanalicular laser dacryocystorhinostomy, we are able to treat epiphora in 85% of cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Proper diagnosis and treatment of watering eye is important because of the impact of tearing on a number of eye processes. Incorrectly identified causes and treatment deteriorate patients' quality of life with decreased visual acuity and disrupted social contacts. In the article we show the contribution of the Eye Hospital in Ljubljana to the successful treatment of epiphora with transcanalicular diode laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy.</p>