ヌンチャク型涙管シリコーンチューブ挿入，初期連続100例の中長期効果

A long-term course of nunchaku-style silicone intubation for lacrimal obstruction in one hundred eyes

　ヌンチャク型涙管シリコーン管抜去後の涙道閉塞87名100眼の経過を6か月以上追跡した。78眼で流涙が消失または軽快した。改善率は，涙点閉塞4眼中4眼，鼻涙管閉塞74眼中60眼，慢性涙嚢炎12眼中8眼，涙小管閉塞10眼中6眼であった。本法は，涙点閉塞と鼻涙管閉塞には中長期的に有効であると判断される。通水検査は流涙消失例においては良好であったが，軽度例では不通もあり，本法には自覚症状の改善効果があると推測された。無効例22眼（22％）のほとんどが抜去後6か月以内に再発しており，治療効果の判定の指標になりうる。

One hundred eyes in 87 patients were followed up for 6 months or longer after removal of nunchaku-style silicone intubation for lacrimal obstruction. Lacrimation disappeared or decreased in 78 eyes. Improvement occurred in 4 out of 4 eyes of punctal occlusion, 60 out of 74 eyes of nasolacrimal duct obstruction, 8 out of 12 eyes of chronic dacryocystitis, and 6 out of 10 eyes of canalicular obstruction. The present method was successful for punctal and naso-lacrimal obstruction in particular. Obstruction of lacrimal passage recurred in some cases even in the absence of epi-phora. It appeared that the present method is effective to alleviate subjective symptoms. In the majority of 22 eyes (22%), nasolacrimal passage became obstructed again within 6 months of tube removal. This feature may merit atten-tion in judging the effect of current treatment.