J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  1996 Mar;37(3):400-404.

Conjunctivochalasis as a Cause of Epiphora and its Histopathological Findings

• Byon D
• Song CH
• Shim JK
• Shyn KH

Abstract

When examining in the patients with epiphora, it is common to evaluate only the insufficiency or obstruction of lacrimal pathway by irrigation or dacryocystography and to over look the conjunctival conditions near the punctum in most cases. Authors found marked redundancy of conjunctival tissue around the punctal area in 8 patients(12 eyes) who complained of epiphora. They have neither lacrimal pathway insufficiency and obstruction, nor facial palsy or lid laxity that can impass the lacrimal pump action, and also no anatomical anomaly of the puncta. In fluorescein dye dissappearence test of these patients, the clearance of dye was markedly delayed on the lesion site(Grade 3 to 4). Epiphora was dramatically improved after simple resection of redundant conjunctiva under surgical microscope. The Hematoxylin-Eosin and Toluidine-Blue staining of resected conjunctiva revealed infiltration of many inflammatory cells and increase of metachromatic cells in the conjunctival stroma.

Keyword

Ephipora; Fluorescein dye disappearance test; Metachromatic cells; Redundant conjunctiva; Toluidine-blue staining

MeSH Terms

Conjunctiva
Facial Paralysis
Fluorescein
Humans
Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases*
Fluorescein