Diagnosis of Inferior Turbinate Impaction

To the Editor.  —For successful probing of congenitally closed nasolacrimal ducts in pediatric patients, the probe must reach the inferior nasal meatus. Various methods have been developed to confirm passage of the probe into the nose. These have included touching the inner end of the probe¹ and using another probe as a checkprobe.² However, a probing done carefully with these methods may fail to resolve the obstruction. In this case the patient usually undergoes a subsequent probing and/or inferior turbinotomy.¹ If the turbinotomy is successful, the surgeon decides the patient had a narrow inferior meatus or an impacted inferior turbinate. This diagnosis thus depends on the surgical outcome, but it would be better for the surgeon to diagnose the condition in advance.During a seven-year period, a total of at least 500 pediatric patients with contenital nasolacrimal duct block other than several cases of bony obstruction underwent