To investigate the incidence and clinical course of canaliculitis after dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) with silicone tubes.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 521 eyes in 484 patients who had undergone DCR with silicone tubes between October 1994 and May 2006.

Canaliculitis occurred in 11 eyes (2.1%). The mean age of the 10 patients involved in this study was 62.1 years (47~71 years) with a mean follow-up period of 11.1 months (6~36 months). The mean onset of canaliculitis was 3.2 months (1~5 months) after the surgery. All cases of canaliculitis were resolved with antibiotic treatment after silicone tube removal, and the surgical outcomes were successful in all patients.

The incidence of canaliculitis after DCR with silicone tubes was rare. In such cases, the final surgical outcome was successful after appropriate treatment.