Abstract
In traumatic lacrimal duct injury, stent placement and anastomosis are commonly performed soon after injury. However, stent selection for pediatric lacrimal duct injuries has rarely been discussed. Herein, we present three pediatric cases (one 1-year-old and two 3-year-olds; all patients were males) of lacrimal duct injury and discuss them along with a literature review. The site of injury was the canaliculus in all cases. Two patients were treated with nylon thread stents and one with a 90-mm Nunchaku-style silicone tube. In the case of the Nunchaku-style silicone tube, insertion around the nasolacrimal duct opening was difficult. None of the patients had any epiphora at 6 months postoperatively. We also estimated the length of the lacrimal duct in the children. According to this estimated length, the 90-mm Nunchaku-style silicone tube may have been too long for a child՚s lacrimal tract. The lacrimal duct size of the children shown in this study may provide suggestions for making treatment decisions in the future.
(A) Length from the upper lacrimal punctum to the lachrymal sac. (B) Length from the inferior lachrymal punctum to the lachrymal sac. (C) Length from the lacrimal sac to the nasolacrimal duct opening.
