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Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography (AS-OCT) Guided Reversal of Edematous Punctal Occlusion
Authors Elshorbagy MS, Shalaby OE, Eldesouky MA, Awara AM
Received 28 March 2020
Accepted for publication 11 May 2020
Published 27 May 2020 Volume 2020:14 Pages 1467—1472
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S255979
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 2
Editor who approved publication: Dr Scott Fraser
Mohammed Sameh Elshorbagy, Osama E Shalaby, Mohamed Ashraf Eldesouky, Amr M Awara
Oculoplasty Unit, Ophthalmology Department, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
Correspondence: Amr M Awara
Oculoplasty Unit, Ophthalmology Department, Tanta University, Tanta 31511, Egypt
Tel +20 1274005384
Fax +20 403415008
Email amrawara@gmail.com
Aim: To evaluate the role of anterior segment–optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) in the diagnosis of punctal stenosis and to compare punctal parameters before and after medical treatment.
Patients and Methods: The study was conducted on 40 eyes of 24 patients who had acquired inflammatory punctal stenosis and had persistent epiphora (persistent epiphora group – PEG), and 20 eyes of 10 subjects with normal punctal openings as a control group (control group – CG). We measured the outer punctal diameter (OPD), recorded the visibility of the internal punctum and punctal depth (PD) using AS-OCT, before and 1 month after treatment with preservative free methylprednisolone 5% eye drops. Punctal diameter, tear meniscus height (TMH) and Munk’s score were compared to the control group before and after treatment.
Results: The mean OPD of the PEG before treatment (455.5 ± 174 μm) was significantly smaller than that of the CG (590.9 ± 106.6 μm) (P= 0.002). The mean OPD of the PEG significantly increased to 484.6 ± 175.5 μm after treatment (P < 0.001). Also, the visibility of vertical canaliculus lumen and PD were restored in 70% of eyes. The TMH was much higher in the PEG than in the CG before treatment (P< 0.05). However, after treatment the difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: AS-OCT parameters were useful in monitoring and measuring the efficacy of medical treatment in relieving punctal edema, which subsequently resulted in reducing the epiphora symptoms.
Keywords: AS-OCT, punctal occlusion, punctal edema, preservative-free steroids
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