Chronic dacryocystitis in the adult patient (aged 18 years or older) requires a management approach tailored to the patient's age, the underlying etiology, and the nature and severity of their presenting signs and symptoms.
Adult patients (≥18 years) with chronic dacryocystitis — particularly those presenting with lacrimal sac swelling and suspected obstruction of the lacrimal drainage system — may have failed or be unsuitable for conservative management, making the choice of definitive intervention a key clinical decision.
In adults with chronic dacryocystitis, the evidence supports a surgical approach. The choice of intervention and its timing are determined by a structured assessment of individual patient factors — the full protocol details which factors drive each decision point.
DOI: 10.1007/s11908-012-0238-8
Generally, in adults, it has been proposed that patients with lacrimal sac swelling and suspicion of obstruction of the lacrimal drainage system associated with tear stones should be treated conservatively; using lacrimal sac massage and lacrimal irrigation until symptoms improve, reserving surgery for cases refractory to these techniques.
Finally, in patients with chronic dacryocystitis, the treatment should be surgery, the timing of which and the type of technique being chosen as a function of the age of the patient, their etiology and signs and symptoms.
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