How to Say It: La-cree-mahl duct sten-oh-sis
Lacrimal duct stenosis is a narrowing of a tear duct (lacrimal duct). It can happen in children and adults. This fact sheet will focus on lacrimal duct stenosis in infants.
The lacrimal duct (in blue) drains tears from the eye down into the nose. The opening of the ducts are near the inner corner of the eye.
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
This problem happens in some babies when the tear duct does not form as it should. A thin membrane may cover the opening of the duct into the nose.
Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:
Problems may be:
The doctor will ask about your baby’s symptoms and health history. An eye exam will be done. Your baby may need to see an eye specialist.
The tear duct will be checked for blockages. This can be done with a dye disappearance test. This can confirm the diagnosis.
This problem often goes away in the first year of life. If it does not, the goal of treatment is to open the tear duct. They may be done with:
There are no known methods to prevent this health problem.
Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.healthychildren.org
National Eye Institute
http://www.nei.nih.gov
Canadian Ophthalmology Society
http://www.cos-sco.ca
Caring for Kids—Canadian Pediatric Society
http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca
Nasolacrimal duct obstruction. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/nasolacrimal-duct-obstruction-15. Accessed August 19, 2021.
Surgery for tear duct blockage. Kid's Health—Nemours Foundation website. Available at: http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/eyes/tear_duct_obstruct_surgery.html. Accessed August 19, 2021.
Last reviewed July 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review Board James Cornell, MD Last Updated: 8/19/2021
EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.