Aging Women with PANDO Face Higher Risk of Acute Dacryocystitis, suggests study
Researchers have discovered that age, especially in older women with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO), strongly predicts the development of acute dacryocystitis (AD), an inflammatory and potentially serious infection of the lacrimal sac. A recent study was conducted by Amber D. published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The research also reveals that weather-related factors like temperature and humidity are not significantly correlated with the prevalence of AD.
This single-center, retrospective observational study examined data on all clinically diagnosed adult patients with acute dacryocystitis between January 2000 and February 2020. Patient data were compared to environmental data collected from the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium in order to determine if weather conditions may have influenced AD occurrence. Patients were divided into three groups according to the condition of their nasolacrimal ducts: PANDO, non-PANDO, or unclassified, as a function of whether lacrimal syringing information was present. Principal patient variables were age and sex, and the investigators used multivariate regression analysis to analyze risk factors.
Results
106 first-onset AD patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 86 (81%) were women and 20 (19%) were men, with an average age of 64.9 years.
PANDO was diagnosed in 50% of the cases, and 20% had non-PANDO forms, and the other 30% could not be classified clearly.
Risk for AD increased significantly with age.
For each 5-year increase in age, the total incidence of AD increased by 14.5% (p=0.012, Exp(B)=1.145).
This risk with age was particularly notable in the PANDO group, where the incidence increased by 22.1% for each 5-year increase in age (p<0.002, Exp(B)=1.221).
This age-dependent increase was not noted in PANDO-negative patients.
The examination did not identify any statistically significant relationships between AD incidence and weather factors such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, or rainfall.
Acute dacryocystitis occurs much more frequently in older women, especially those with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. A high-risk predictor was identified as age, particularly in the PANDO subgroup, while meteorological factors had no significant correlation. These results justify proactive counseling and preventive surgical procedures such as dacryocystorhinostomy for elderly female patients with symptomatic PANDO in an effort to limit the burden of AD.
Reference:
Demeuleneere A, Kusmierczyk J, Mombaerts I. Risk factors for the development of acute dacryocystitis in adults. Br J Ophthalmol. 2025 Jun 18:bjo-2024-326753. doi: 10.1136/bjo-2024-326753. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40533106.
