The clinical demonstration of the ductular orifices of the human lacrimal gland is reported. Lacrimal fluid secretion can be shown after instillation of 2% sodium fluorescein. Ductular orifices are visible on biomicroscopy. In keratoconjunctivitis sicca the lacrimal fluid streams appear normal, or to be diminished or absent.

Primary lacrimal sac tumor is extremely rare, and moreover, glandular tumor is exceptional. Herein, we described the first documented case of primary ductal adenocarcinoma of the lacrimal sac. A 79-year-old Japanese female presented with persistent swelling of her left lower eyelid. Computed tomography demonstrated an irregular-shaped tumor involving the left lacrimal sac, lower eyelid, sinonas...

The lacrimal gland is a functional part of the mucosal immune system and is populated by lymphoid cells that begin to appear early in neonatal development. To define the events controlling the accumulation of these cells, an in vitro adherence assay was used to investigate the interactions of lymphocyte populations with neonatal and adult lacrimal tissue. It was found that (1) lymphocytes adher...

PURPOSE To assess whether the lacrimal gland is a possible site of synthesis of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and to characterize TGF-alpha biochemically in human tears. METHODS Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification was used to analyze rat lacrimal glands for the presence of TGF-alpha mRNA. Specific monoclonal antibodies were used to localize TG...

PURPOSE To determine whether reflex vasodilatation can be elicited in the cat lacrimal gland by electrical stimulation of the cornea, whether the vasodilatation elicited by electrical stimulation of the facial nerve root found to be the efferent arm of the cornea-lacrimal gland reflex pathway correlates with the evoked secretion in the lacrimal gland, and what kind of receptors and which autono...

To apply the ultrasonic 3D reconstruction method to measure the anatomic image data of lacrimal sac in the normal adult Chinese population, providing imaging anatomical basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of lacrimal duct diseases. 80 volunteers without lacrimal duct diseases were enrolled. The GE Voluson E8 ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus was used, with gynecological intracavitary p...

BACKGROUND From the 1990's onward, it has been possible to assess changes in the lacrimal duct by direct, minimally invasive diagnostic inspection with the aid of miniaturized endoscopes originally used in gastroduodenal surgery. It has been shown in this way that mechanical lacrimal duct stenosis often develops gradually as the result of recurrent chronic inflammation. Absolute stenoses are of...

Background: To explore the prevalence of lacrimal duct obstruction in patients with infectious keratitis, and the necessity of lacrimal duct dredge in the treatment of human infectious keratitis. Methodology/Principle Findings: The design is prospective, non-control case series. Thirty-one eyes from twenty-eight continuous patients with infectious keratitis were included in this study. The pres...

PURPOSE MRL/MpJ-fas(+)/fas(+) (MRL/+) and MRL/MpJ-fas(lpr)/fas(lpr) (MRL/lpr) mice are congenic substrains of mice that have spontaneously developing lacrimal and salivary gland inflammation and are models for the human disorder Sjögren's syndrome. Nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha are proinflammatory and potential mediators of tissue damage. The presence of the inducible ...