Acute Dacryocystitis with Empyema of the Lacrimal Sac: Is Immediate Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy Justified?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (Endo-DCR) in the treatment of acute dacryocystitis with lacrimal sac empyema (ADLSE). DESIGN: Case series with chart review. SETTING: Academic tertiary center. PATIENTS: The study included 26 consecutive patients who underwent Endo-DCR for ADLSE between August 2005 and December 2013. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The success of the procedure was defined as complete complaint relief and DCR patency. Data on the time from referral to surgery, postoperative complications, and revision surgery are also reported. RESULTS: The present patient series included 4 males (15.4%) and 22 females (84.6%) (mean age, 66 years). The mean time between referral and surgery was 0.88 days and the mean follow-up time was 29 months. All patients showed immediate relief from symptoms, with no ADLSE recurrences. Complete success was achieved in 25 (96.2%) cases; the only failure was in a patient who had previously undergone radioiodine treatment. In this case, revision Endo-DCR was not successful. The only perioperative complication (3.8%) was epistaxis in a patient who required revision surgery under general anesthesia. The definitive success rate was 96.2% after primary and revision surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Endo-DCR enables rapid resolution of ADLSE with a very high success rate. Immediate surgery may reduce the risk of skin fistulization and/or orbital complications. DCR shrinkage and lacrimal obstruction are unlikely with Endo-DCR since the procedure is performed on an enlarged sac. The main advantage of Endo-DCR, compared with external DCR, is the absence of a skin incision in an inflamed and infected field.