Fistula resulting from incomplete dacryocystectomy

Contributor: William Charles Caccamise, Sr, MD, Retired Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

*Dr. Caccamise has very generously shared his images of patients taken while operating during the "eye season" in rural India as well as those from his private practice during the 1960's and 1970's. Many of his images are significant for their historical perspective and for techniques and conditions seen in settings in undeveloped areas.

Category: Oculoplastics

Dacryocystectomy was a common surgical approach to chronic dacryocystitis. Failure to remove all of the tear sac could lead to this type of fistula. At the Kurji Holy Family Hospital Eye Clinic, dacryocystorhinostomy was the standard approach to chronic dacryocystitis.

The patient in the photo is a Caucasian female with a history of dacryocystectomy followed by the fistula readily seen in the photo. Again, a vast majority of adult patients with lacrimal drainage problems are menopausal or post-menopausal females.

Ophthalmic Atlas Images by EyeRounds.org, The University of Iowa are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.