CANALICULITIS - DIFFICULTIES IN DIAGNOSIS, DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS ANDCOMPARISON BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE AND SURGICAL-TREATMENT

The most important clinical features of canaliculitis include a red, s wollen eyelid in the area of the affected canaliculus, a unilateral co njunctivitis, a mucopurulent discharge and in some cases dacryoliths v isible in the lacrimal punctum. Conservative therapy was found to be l ittle effective: only 10% of the patients could be cured, 40% showed a recurrence after conservative treatment. 20 patients (50%) were treat ed by canaliculotomy: 16 of these were cured by this surgical treatmen t, 4 patients complained of epiphora, although diagnostic syringing sh owed free lacrimal pathways. The surgical treatment of canaliculitis i n combination with conservative therapy yields far better results than conservative therapy alone.