Partial lacrimal carunculectomy - A simple procedure for epiphora

Objective: To evaluate the effect of partial surgical excision of enlarged lacrimal caruncles, termed megalocaruncles, in patients with epiphora from functional lacrimal drainage obstruction, Design: Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. Participants: From May 1995 through December 1999, 88 patients (46 women an d 42 men; mean age, 68 years) with epiphora, patent lacrimal drainage syste m on irrigation, and a megalocaruncle underwent a partial lacrimal caruncul ectomy procedure. In 26 patients, a bilateral partial lacrimal carunculecto my was performed, Intervention: Lacrimal caruncular tissue, with its overlying mucosa, was pa rtially excised, and the wound was closed with interrupted sutures, Main Outcome Measures: Symptomatology and patient satisfaction. Results: After a partial lacrimal carunculectomy procedure, epiphora was su bjectively improved in 77% of the patients, ranging from complete relief in 33% to significant improvement in 44% of the patients. Twenty-three percen t of the patients had no change in symptoms. The mean follow-up was 12.7 mo nths. Conclusions: Megalocaruncles can be the cause of epiphora in patients with functional lacrimal drainage obstruction, for whom a partial lacrimal carun culectomy is an effective surgical procedure in 77% of the cases. (C) 2001 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.