To compare the results of conventional nasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) and inferior nasal endoscopic DCR in Study cases of idiopathic chronic dacryocystitis.

Forty patients diagnosed with idiopathic chronic dacryocystitis were divided into two groups alternately. After relevant investigations, they were subjected for endoscopic DCR by two techniques. Twenty patients underwent conventional endoscopic DCR and 20 underwent inferior endoscopic DCR under transoral pterygopalatine block and topical lignocaine (4%) with adrenaline 1:2,000. After 3 months of follow-up in the outpatient department, nasal endoscopy along with fluorescein dye disappearance test (FDDT) at 10 minutes was done.

Ninety-five percent (19/20) of patients undergoing conventional endoscopic DCR and 90% (18/20) of patients undergoing inferior endoscopic DCR were found to have patent anatomical fistula. On FDDT, nasal endoscopy after 10 minutes revealed 84% (16/19) in group I and 94.4% (17/18) in group II with fluorescein in nasal cavity.

Present study concludes the importance of bony, tendinous, and muscular support of lacrimal sac in physiological lacrimal pump functioning and advantage of relatively new technique of inferior endoscopic DCR. Inferior endoscopic DCR is associated with less operative time as well as less local complications.

Thakur K, Kashyap A, Negi S, Chauhan PL. Anatomical and Functional Evaluation of Conventional vs Inferior Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy in Study Cases of Idiopathic Chronic Dacryocystitis. Clin Rhinol An Int J 2017;10(2):86-90.