Abstract:AIM: To study the imaging characteristics of lacrimal punctum lesion with optical coherence tomography (OCT), and provide imaging basis for the diagnosis and treatment of lacrimal punctum diseases. METHODS: A total of 25 patients (28 eyes) with epiphora and lacrimal puncta lesions were enrolled. Lacrimal puncta lesions included: punctum membrane obstruction in 7 cases (9 eyes), punctum agenesis in 1 case (1 eye), a mass protruded from the punctum in 1 case (1 eye), slit puncta in 1 case (1 eye), peri-puncta mass in 2 cases (2 eyes), chronic dacryocystitis in 4 cases (4 eyes), and primary puncta stenosis in 9 cases (10 eyes; 3 eyes mild, 4 eyes moderate and 3 eyes severe). All patients were examined by slit lamp microscopy and OCT to observe the morphological characteristics of abnormal punctum. RESULTS: Two types of complete membrane obstruction and incomplete membrane obstruction of puncta were observed in OCT images of 7 patients. No lacrimal punctum and lacrimal canalicular cavity were found in 1 case with punctum agenesis. OCT images showed that a narrow lumen remained in the lacrimal puncta in 1 patient with a mass protruded from the punctum. OCT of punctum in a patient with slit punctum after stent placement showed stent and abnormal lacrimal structure. No abnormal intraluminal structure was found in 2 cases of peri-puncta mass after OCT scan, and the lacunar space was narrower than that of the contralateral eye. OCT of puncta in 4 patients with chronic dacryocystitis showed that pus floated in tear with lump-like medium-low reflex. In 9 patients with primary lacrimal puncta stenosis, OCT image could clearly show the changes of puncta lumen in different degrees and shapes. CONCLUSION: OCT is feasible for the examination of pathological punctum, and can provide imaging basis for the diagnosis and treatment of punctum disease.
