Day-Case Admission for External Dacryocystorhinostomy in Preschool Children.

PURPOSE: Epistaxis during or after dacryocystorhinostomy may present a risk of circulatory compromise, particularly in young children. In view of this concern, we reviewed the outcome and complications of external dacryocystorhinostomy in preschool children, aged less than 4½ years. DESIGN: Retrospective noncomparative series. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case-note review for a series of preschool children undergoing external dacryocystorhinostomy as a day-case admission at Moorfields Eye Hospital between 1992 and 2018; all surgery was consultant-led. Details were taken of the type of surgery, any intraoperative or postoperative complications (surgical or anesthetic), any unplanned admissions after surgery, and the functional outcome. To assess the veracity of the medical records, the parents for a sample of 67 children were contacted to check whether there had been any unrecorded events or concerns. OUTCOME MEASURES: Anesthetic or surgical complications, unplanned admissions, and postoperative events. RESULTS: One-hundred and eighty-seven children (117 boys; 63%) underwent 228 external dacryocystorhinostomies during 201 admissions, the average admission age being 36.8 months (median, 37.5; range, 5.5-53.5 months). Forty-one children (20%) underwent bilateral dacryocystorhinostomy: the 27 having simultaneous bilateral surgery dacryocystorhinostomy were operated at a mean age of 38.2 months (median, 37.5; range, 15.5-53.5 months), this being significantly different from the average age at first operation in 14 children undergoing sequential admission for bilateral dacryocystorhinostomy (mean, 24.9 months; median, 27.0; range, 5.5-42.5) (p = 0.0023). No adverse anesthetic events were recorded, 2 children (2 dacryocystorhinostomies) required temporary nasal packing at the end of surgery for epistaxis, and one further child was admitted for overnight observation because of persistent mild epistaxis after bilateral dacryocystorhinostomy. Three children (3 dacryocystorhinostomies) had a mild, self-limiting secondary epistaxis, and there were no unplanned emergency admissions. The telephone survey did not reveal any disparity in the medical records. CONCLUSION: With experienced surgeons and anesthetists in a suitable specialist hospital, external dacryocystorhinostomy in preschool children would appear to be a safe and effective procedure, with few and minor complications. Although facilities for overnight observation should be available, the surgery can typically be planned as a day-case admission, and simultaneous bilateral surgery is also possible in this age-group.

Quality of life and functional vision in children treated for cataract-a cross-sectional study.

PurposeChildren with cataract and their families face intensive medical and surgical management, with numerous hospital attendances, topical medications, and surgical procedures, as well as uncertainty about the child's future visual ability, education, and independence. Little is known about the impact on functional visual ability, vision-, and health-related quality of life (VR-, HR-QoL).Patients and methodsSeventy two children aged 2-16 years (mean 8.45, SD 4.1) treated for developmental or secondary cataract and their parents/carers completed three validated instruments measuring functional visual ability, VR-, and HR-QoL: the Cardiff Visual Ability Questionnaire for Children (CVAQC), Impact of Vision Impairment for Children (IVI-C), and PedsQL V 4.0.ResultsAll scores are markedly reduced: median (interquartile range (IQR)) CVAQC score -1.42 (-2.28 to -0.03), mean (SD) IVI-C score 65.67 (16.91), median (IQR) PedsQL family impact score 75 (56.94-88.19), parent report 71.74 (51.98-88.5), self-report 76.09 (61.96-89.13). Psychosocial PedsQL subscores are lower than physical subscores. Parent-completed tools (PedsQL family and parent report) state greater impact on HR-QoL than tools completed by children/young people, particularly in teenagers. Older children/young people have higher functional visual ability scores than younger children.ConclusionsCataract has a marked a long-term impact on functional visual ability and quality of life of children and young people, with HR-QoL affected to degrees reported in children with severe congenital cardiac defects or liver transplants.

Novel heterozygous OTX2 mutations and whole gene deletions in anophthalmia, microphthalmia and coloboma.

Severe ocular malformations, including anophthalmia-microphthalmia (AM), are responsible for around 25% of severe visual impairment in childhood. Recurrent interstitial deletions of 14q22-23 are associated with AM and a wide range of extra-ocular phenotypes including brain anomalies. The homeobox gene OTX2 is located at 14q22.3 and has recently been identified as mutated in AM patients. Eight human OTX2 mutations have been reported in subjects with severe eye malformations, including AM, and variable developmental delay. We screened a novel AM cohort for mutations and deletions in OTX2, and identified four new mutations in six individuals and two cases of whole gene deletions. Our data suggest that OTX2 mutations and deletions account for 2-3% of AM cases.

Clinical, radiological and pathological examination of periocular dermoid cysts: evidence of inflammation from an early age.

INTRODUCTION: Periocular dermoid cysts are common and leakage of the lipid or keratin contents leads to an inflammation-often asymptomatic-around the cyst, which may cause adherence of the dermoid cyst to neighbouring structures. PURPOSE: To investigate the frequency of clinical and radiological signs of inflammation with periocular dermoid cysts, to relate this to the histopathological examination of the excised specimens, and to assess whether the degree of inflammation is related to age at presentation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective non-comparative series of 124 patients with periocular dermoid cysts that had undergone imaging. Case-notes were reviewed for clinical and histopathological details and there was independent review of the radiological imaging. RESULTS: Surgery was undertaken at between 1 and 66 years of age, most patients being under 10 years, and the duration of symptoms varied from 4 weeks to 30 years. Symptoms of inflammation-mainly intermittent lid swelling with localised redness and pain-occurred in all age groups, the proportion being greatest in the fourth decade. Clinical signs of inflammation at the time of clinic visit were relatively few, although 8% had some localised erythema and 7% had tenderness at the site of lesion. In more than two-thirds of the excised cysts, pathological examination demonstrated various degrees of chronic inflammation, even in those cysts removed before the age of 5 years. CONCLUSION: Even if the patient does not have symptoms or signs of inflammation, most periocular dermoid cysts show histological evidence of inflammation due to leakage of the lipid and keratin contents from the cyst, the incidence being similar at all ages.

Pediatric dacryocystorhinostomy for nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcome of pediatric dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) for large mucoceles or for primary nasolacrimal duct obstruction unresponsive to multiple probings. DESIGN: Retrospective noncomparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirty-four external dacryocystorhinostomies were performed in 121 children. METHODS: Clinical case notes were reviewed for a series of cases operated on at Moorfields Eye Hospital by specialist lacrimal surgeons between 1987 and 1999. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postoperative relief of presenting symptoms and signs and complications. RESULTS: Fifty-nine percent of admissions (75 of 127) were day cases, and the other 52 admissions were inpatient. Simultaneous bilateral surgery was performed in 7 of 121 (6%) children, all but one having day case admission, and sequential bilateral surgery in 6 of 121 (5%) cases. Silicone intubation was performed in 20% of operations, these generally being early in the series. Three children had Down syndrome, five had craniofacial anomalies, and two had systemic disorders. Mild postoperative cellulitis occurred in three cases, all of which settled without complication after systemic antibiotic therapy, and there was one case of suture granuloma. There were no cases of immediate postoperative complication in either the day case or the inpatient groups. Complete cure of symptoms was achieved in 96% and an improvement of symptoms (with mild persistence of epiphora under challenge) in five cases (4%). CONCLUSION: For surgeons experienced in pediatric lacrimal surgery, external DCR with sutured mucosal flaps can be accomplished through an 8-mm incision with no surface sutures and minimal scarring. Symptoms are improved in all cases and complete cure achieved in 96%, with no immediate postoperative complications and only few (3%) short-term complications. The surgery is amenable to day case management, without significant morbidity, and may be performed as a simultaneous bilateral procedure.