Magnetic resonance dacryocystography: Its role in the diagnosis and treatment plan of lacrimal drainage system obstructions

Objective: To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance dacryocystography (MR-DCG) technique in patients with obstruction of lacrimal drainage system. Methods: A total of 40 patients who had presented to the ophthalmology clinic were suspected to have obstruction of lacrimal drainage system, were evaluated with MR-DCG after instillation of 0.5% Gd-DTPA conjunctival contrast medium. Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) was performed in patients who were found to have lacrimal drainage system obstruction on either side on MR-DCG. Results: Obstruction of lacrimal drainage system was successfully detected in a total of 49 eyes of 40 patients undergoing examination with MR-DCG. The MR-DCG findings of 29 nasolacrimal systems were compared with the intraoperative findings in 28 out of 40 patients who had undergone the DCR operation. The sensitivity of MR-DCG was determined as 100% and specificity as 96.7% for identification of nasolacrimal system obstruction when compared with the intraoperative findings, and MR-DCG was found to detect obstruction with high accuracy. Conclusion: MR-DCG has a high success rate in detection of lacrimal drainage system obstructions and the level and cause of the obstruction.