Observational studyEye (London, England)2026
Developmental anatomy of the lacrimal sac fossa and nasolacrimal canal: a CT study of paediatric patients.
Observational study in Eye (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesUnderstanding the developmental anatomy of the lacrimal sac fossa (LF) and nasolacrimal canal (NLC) is critical for paediatric lacrimal diseases.
methodsThis observational study analysed cranial CT images of 144 paediatric patients undergoing imaging for non-ocular conditions and 80 adults with phthisis bulbi as a matched comparison. Measurements included LF vertical dimension (height) and anteroposterior dimension (width), NLC diameter and vertical dimension, and frontal process of the maxilla (FPM) structures. Developmental changes were assessed using the generalised additive model (GAM), with structural comparisons between children and adults.
resultsChildren enrolled had an even distribution in age and gender (77 males and 67 females, average ages of 9.83 and 9.44 years, respectively). Except for the proportion of FPM contributing to the LF and inferior LF height (part below the operculum of middle turbinate), which showed minimal age-related change, the GAM model revealed that most structures grew rapidly before age 10, then slowed. The NLC vertical dimension exhibited the fastest growth, increasing approximately threefold from birth to adulthood, while other structures generally increased by 1.5 to 2 times. Males consistently had larger dimensions than females in most measurements. Differences compared to adults were more significant in children under 10.
conclusionsThe various segments of the lacrimal drainage system exhibit different developmental patterns in children. While most LF and NLC structures grow rapidly before age 10, a few remains minimal age-related change. This study provides predictive values by age, which may serve as useful references for surgical planning in CNLDO.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.